Abstract: Fault activity research methods mainly include fault growth index method, the ancient gap analysis, fault activity rate method and analysis method of fault slip. Various research methods, each have their own conditions of use and the advantages and disadvantages, the fault growth index method to the influence of the deposition rate and denudation rate, fault ancient divide method without considering the factors of time, the fault activity rate method is not starting from the displacement of fault really, ancient slip fault analysis method is relatively reasonable. In the actual application according to the characteristics of fault development in the study area (Angle change, strike-slip, etc.), basin subsidence range (sedimentation rate, etc.), formation and development characteristics (whether by erosion, etc.) to select suitable research methods, also can be used in combination with a variety of methods for analysis and comparison are studied.