Abstract: The intense deformation in the Kuqa foreland basin，northwest China，limited the seismic exploration and interpretation in this important gas field of China．This study is devoted to improving the reliability of predicting complex structures by 2-D gravity modeling and joint interpretation along 2 MT profiles and 3 seismic profiles across the Kuqa fold-and-thrust belt．The results indicate that fault-related Folding is the basic deformation style in this foreland basin．The development of detachment along the Eocene gypsum rocks and gypseous mudstones，and along the Jurassic and Triassic coal-bearing formation stratigraphically controlled the deformation patterns of fault-related folds，and resulted in change of relative positions of gas traps at depth with anticline crests on the surface．Overall，in the north，a Paleozoic wedge of Tianshan has embedded into the Mesozoic strata of northern tilted zone and caused increased gravity anomalies；in the south, the increased sedimentation depth of the Cenozoic rocks decreased the gravity anomalies，and the accumulation of the Eocene salt body should be accounted for the low gravity value．The relatively higher density of basement in the Baicheng depression probably reveals an early regional uplift associated with intrusive igneous activity and continued extension．The thrust propagated progressively from Tianshan to the Tarim basin，which implies enhanced N-S compression and crustal shortening since the Miocene as a remote structural response to the India-Eurasia collision．