## 1 Introduction  
The Ordos Block is characterized by internal stability and integrity, with few earthquakes occurring [1, 2], while under the influence of regional stress, the surrounding areas are densely populated with faults and frequently experience strong seismic events, which are distributed along the boundaries of a series of compressional zone and down-faulted depression zones at the periphery of the Ordos block, mainly strike-slip faults and normal faults [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Frequent strong seismic events occur in these areas, in stark contrast to the seismic activity within the block itself [1, 2, 7]. Located at the junction of the Tibetan Plateau, North China, and South China blocks, the region features complex geological structures and intense tectonic activity [7] (Figure 1A). Moderate to strong seismic activities are relatively -frequent [2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11], making it a longstanding focus of research on active tectonics, attracting widespread attention from scholars. According to previous studies, the periphery of the Ordos Block is a seismically active zone where strong earthquakes have occurred multiple times [12; 13; 14]. Earthquakes are primarily concentrated in these faulted basins, and historical records indicate that four earthquakes with a magnitude of M \(\geq\) 8 have occurred in these regions [4]. However, there is debate regarding the magnitude of these historical earthquake records, all of which studies have shown were associated with fault activities in these basins [15; 16] (Figure 1A,B). Over the past 50 years, several earthquakes with M \(\geq\) 6 have consecutively struck Inner Mongolia, with the faulted basins along the northern margin of the Ordos Block and the Yanshan Uplift boundary zone becoming the new primary area for moderate to strong seismic activity in northern North China [17; 18]. Figure 1: Simplified regional active tectonic setting map of China (**A**), Ordos Block area (**B**), and Jining Basin and nearby areas (**C**). The black thick letters in (**A**) present the first-order active tectonic block zone. The fault trace location in (**B**) is modified from Deng (2008) [19]. The GPS velocity field is from Wang and Shen (2020) [20]. The earthquake statistics data from China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) since 1970 ([[https://news.ceic.ac.cn/](https://news.ceic.ac.cn/)]([https://news.ceic.ac.cn/](https://news.ceic.ac.cn/))). F1: Jining River Northern Margin Fault; F2: Daqinshan Piedmont Fault; F3: Zhangjiakou Fault; F4: Ximalin Fault; F5: Daihai Northern Margin Fault; F6: Daihai Southern Margin Fault; F7: Ordos Northern Margin Fault; F8: Helinger Fault; F9: Kouquan Fault; F10: Zuosuobao-Songzhikou Fault; F11: Bendiqing-Yongxing Fault; F12: Huairen Fault; F13: Shuiyu Fault; F14: Cailiangshan Eastern Margin Fault; F15: Tuanbao Fault; F16: Yangyuan Basin Northern Margin Fault; and F17: Yangyuan Basin Southern Margin Fault. In our previous research, we identified a previously unknown Quaternary active fault located within Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, at the northeastern margin of the Ordos Block. This fault is situated at the northern boundary of the Jining Basin, located on the northwestern side of Ulanqab city. The Jining Basin lies at the intersection of the northeastern edge of the Ordos Block and the Yinshan Uplift, and structurally it belongs mainly to the Yinshan Uplift region (Figure 1B,C). The Jining River flows through the middle of the basin and converges southward into Huangqiahai Lake. Therefore, we have named the Jining River Northern Margin Fault (JRNF) (Figure 1B,C). Around the JRNF within the study region, the current research on active tectonics in this area primarily focuses on the eastern and northern margins of the Ordos Block. For example, the Daihai-Huangqiahai Fault Zone in the south has revealed an abnormal reversal of vertical motion and its potential to generate large earthquakes [21]. The Daihai southern margin fault is the seismogenic structure responsible for the 2020 Helingeer M\({}_{\text{L}}\) 4.5 earthquake sequence [22].