The parameters of magnetic fabric of deformed rocks such as Kmax,Kint,Kmin, P, T, F,L and E can be used to quantitatively display the behaviors and stages of tectonic deformation. Characteristics of magnetic fabrics in the west segment of Altun fault belt (from Guozhacuo to Kongkashankou) were analyzed in this investigation. These characteristics suggest that the segment had undergone multiple stages of mobility, and the deformation feature had experienced a successive transformation from ductile, to ductile‐brittle and to brittle deformation. Stress mechanisms are indicative of shear, stretch and compress with shear. The direction of principal stress is NNE‐SSW and approximately S‐N. The fabric characteristics of the minimum magnetic susceptibility axis (Kmin) are different between the two blocks of the strike‐slip fault, and in different areas they have different movement vectors. Sinistral strike slip is proved to be the main movement style of the Altun fault belt. Magnetic fabric data also indicate that the Altun fault belt has the character of semi‐symmetry with the most intensive deformation in the middle, and a gradual decreasing towards both sides, showing that the deformation during the early period gradually decreased from east to west along the strike‐slip fault belt. The stress, strain and the character of deformation revealed by magnetic fabrics are consistent with field features, microstructure and paleostress data.

Wenquan pluton is situated in the western Qinling mountains and is adjacent to the south of the Shangdan suture zone. Through analyses of regional tectonics and the anisotropy of low‐field magnetic susceptibility (AMS) together with rock magnetism of 125 oriented samples, the emplacement mechanism of the pluton is studied. The values of most mean susceptibilities (km) show a wide variation range. Thermomagnetic curves demonstrate that the paramagnetic minerals such as biotite, acting as the main magnetic carriers, made dominant contributions to the magnetic susceptibility of the samples with low values, also including a small contribution to remanence from small amount of magnetite. The magnetite, however, acted as the dominant magnetic carrier of the samples with high magnetic susceptibility values. The corrected anisotropy degree (PJ ) less than 1.2 can be regarded as flow magnetic fabrics based on microscopic observations. The shape parameters (T) of most of magnetic susceptibility ellipsoid display that the Wenquan pluton is dominated by oblate compressional fabric, and the magnetic foliations are dominant over magnetic lineations. In addition, it is well marked that most magnetic foliations of the samples on the border seem parallel to the edge of the granite pluton, which have relatively steep inclinations, and interior ones appear relatively disordered besides magnetic lineations. Hence it can be revealed that the magnetic fabrics of the pluton are mainly formed by the lateral compression during the emplacement. Though the magnetic fabrics show N‐NEE and SW directed compression as a whole, the compression caused by the closure of the Shangdan suture zone during the Indo‐China period became much weaker than that in the main orogenic stage. Consequently it can be concluded that the weak compression setting can be reflected by the characteristics of magnetic fabrics when the pluton emplaced, and furthermore the relatively sustained and even extensional environment was probable and understandable, which was consistent with the regional tectonic setting in the extension stage of the emergence of delamination when the Qinling orogenic belt evolved to post‐collision stage.

A detailed investigation of the structural geometry and magnetic fabrics together with rock magnetism has been carried out along Jingzhuba‐Shiwo section located in the foreland fold belt of the South Dabashan, which aims to shed light on the superimposed deformation and tectonic evolution. As a whole, the intensity of deformation decreases from the northeast to the southwest, and the axial planes dip northeastward and the hinges of large‐scale folds plunge northwestward at small angle. Moreover, the maximum principal stress indicates that the compression of the South Dabashan is dominant as per palaeostress analysis. The sampling horizons before the Late Jurassic are mainly characterized by magnetic fabrics in deformed rocks, whereas the sampling horizons ranging from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous are characterized by incipient magnetic fabrics in weakly deformed rocks. The magnetic lineations are dominantly oriented NW‐SE and remain almost parallel to the main tectonic structures of the section, suggesting that AMS can be ascribed to tectonic processes. Also there are two types of unusual magnetic fabrics revealed. The first one merely occurring in the northeast section is characterized by an oblique magnetic foliation with respect to bedding, which is related with parallel‐bedding simple shear during fold growth. The other one caused by tectonic superimposition is characterized by an oblique magnetic lineation with respect to bedding strike. The plunges of Kmin increase with decreasing deformation intensity from northeast to southwest along the section, which can be taken as a gauge to distinguish the deformation intensity of weakly‐deformed sedimentary rocks according to the relativity. Consequently it can be concluded that the superimposed structure of the section was formed by the combined compression which arose from the South Dabashan primarily and the Micangshan and the eastern Sichuan fold belt secondly during the Late Jurassic. Afterwards the compression from the South Dabashan was still dominant, the compression from the other two directions, however, became much weaker in the Early Cretaceous than in the Late Jurassic. Furthermore, the effects resulting from Qinling intracontinental orogeny during J3‐K1 and Xuefeng intracontinental deformation could be reflected by the results mentioned above, which can also provide evidences for exploration of continental dynamics.