A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar in March 2025, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. But what makes this event groundbreaking is the stunning footage captured by a CCTV camera near the fault line, which provides unprecedented insights into earthquake behavior.
Researchers at Kyoto University used the rare video to measure the fault’s movement in detail, confirming a rapid “pulse-like” rupture and a subtle curve in the slip path. The team applied a technique called pixel cross-correlation to analyze the footage frame-by-frame, revealing that the fault slipped sideways 2.5 meters in just 1.3 seconds.
This discovery confirms the presence of strike-slip faults, where two masses of earth “slip” past each other horizontally along a vertical fault plane, resulting in a rapid and sudden movement. The short duration of the fault slip is what makes this event unique, as it contrasts with typical earthquakes that involve longer periods of fault motion.
The study’s findings have significant implications for earthquake science, potentially transforming how we understand and predict seismic behavior. By analyzing video data from faults, researchers can gain a better understanding of earthquake processes and enhance their ability to anticipate future large events.
According to the corresponding author, Jesse Kearse, “This video record provided such a rich variety of detailed observations, which is critical for advancing our understanding of earthquake source physics.” The study demonstrates that video-based monitoring of faults is a powerful tool in seismology, opening up new avenues of research and potentially leading to significant advancements in earthquake prediction.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250722035653.htm