Science

Shocking Footage Captures Earth's Fury: The Day Myanmar's Deadliest Earthquake Unfolded

2025-05-17

Author: Chun

A Catastrophic Event Shakes Myanmar

On March 28, 2025, a cataclysmic 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar, resulting in widespread destruction and tragically claiming over 4,900 lives. Its epicenter was near Mandalay, with tremors felt as far away as Bangkok, Thailand. This massive quake originated along the Sagaing Fault, a major geological frontier known for its horizontal movement where the Burma Microplate meets the Sunda Plate.

A Groundbreaking Visual of Tectonic Forces

In an astonishing turn of events, a dramatic video captured near Thazi offers an unprecedented look at the fault movement during the earthquake. The footage vividly illustrates the earth’s surface shifting as two massive blocks of land violently slipped past one another along the fault line.

First-Ever Real-Time Capture of Fault Activity

Described by the U.S. Geological Survey as a fracture between two rock blocks, the video marks the first clear, real-time documentation of such a fault slip at the surface—an event previously unseen with such clarity.

A Rupture with Catastrophic Consequences

The earthquake's rupture stretched over an astonishing 460 kilometers, taking place at a shallower depth of approximately 10 kilometers. The intense energy released caused violent shaking, rated as intensity IX on the Modified Mercalli scale. The maximum surface displacement measured 4.3 meters between Sagaing and Amarapura, with the rupture reaching 75 kilometers north and 420 kilometers south, devastating towns like Singu and Oktwin, where ground displacement even exceeded a meter.

Supershear Phenomenon Intensifies Damage

Researchers revealed that this earthquake exhibited a rare 'supershear' rupture, propagating faster than seismic shear waves. This rapid rupture not only escalated the seismic energy released but also magnified the earthquake's impact on already densely populated regions. The event lasted just over 80 seconds, with the majority of energy unleashed about 30 seconds into the rupture.

Revolutionizing Earthquake Research

This unprecedented video footage and accompanying data present scientists with invaluable insights into fault scenarios during significant seismic activities. These observations pave the way for advancements in earthquake mechanics and more accurate risk assessments in vulnerable fault zones.