The region from the northeastern margin of the Pamir to the West Kunlun range is an important part of the northwestern Tibetan Plateau,which is surrounded by the Kongur Shan normal fault,Main Pamir Thrust – Tiklik fault and Karakax fault in the northwest,northeast and southeast,respectively.According to detailed field survey,satellite images interpretation and ASTER GDEM data analysis,it shows that: (1) The Muji fault,probale northernmost segment of the Karakorum right-lateral strike-slip fault,has an average slip-rate of >5 mm/years during the Holocene; (2) The Kongur Shan and Tashkorgan faults are mainly normal faults; (3) The Karakax fault is a left-lateral strike-slip fault, with an average slip-rate of about 6–7 mm/yrs during the Pleistocene; (4) The Main Pamir Thrust –Tiklik fault is a thrust fault along the boundary of the basin-range; (5) ASTER GDEM data analysis,including elevation distribution and local relief and slope measurements,shows that three main terrains exist within this area: the Tarim basin,the mountain piedmont along the southwestern margin of the Tarim basin and the northeastern margin of the Pamir – the West Kunlun; (6)The vertical uplift of the region is controlled by the India-Eurasia collision,which formed high plateaus and mountains (NE Pamir and West Kunlun); (7) The lateral extrusion of this region is caused by the different characteristics on the boundary faults: the material moves to the SE along the Muji-Kongur-Tashkorgan faults; to the NW along the Karakax fault; i.e.two opposite directions forming the highest elevations of the Pamir: Kongur Shan and Mustagh Ata.