Left-lateral strike-slip motion squeezes the crustal blocks of the Tibetan Plateau outwards, forcing it to move eastwards.

Meanwhile, the strike-slip motion also results in east-west extension of the plateau, causing normal faults to break within the thickened crust.

Beginning in 1893, at least 350 km of the fault length has ruptured in large successive earthquakes with magnitudes 6.5 or larger.

[4] Going back to the year 1700 to present-day, the fault has ruptured its entire 1,400 km length during large earthquakes.

In 2014, an earthquake measuring magnitudes 5.9 ruptured the Selaha Fault, releasing some of the strain.

[7] Since the 1955 quake, the Zheduotang Fault has accumulated enough strain to generate a magnitude 6.5–6.8 earthquake with the potential to cause severe destruction.