A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar was captured on CCTV, showing a 2.5-meter fault slip in real-time.
- A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar in March 2025.
- CCTV footage captured the Sagaing Fault slipping 2.5 meters in 1.3 seconds.
- This is the first real-time video evidence of such rapid ground movement during an earthquake.
- Researchers analyzed the “pulse-like rupture” and a subtly curved slip path.
- The data will enhance understanding of earthquake mechanics and prediction models.
Central Myanmar experienced a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in March 2025. This seismic event, the strongest in over a century for the region, provided a unique scientific opportunity. For the first time ever, a nearby CCTV camera captured the fault’s sudden rupture in real time. The vivid footage shows the Earth’s surface splitting and slipping sideways by 2.5 meters in a mere 1.3 seconds.
What caused the 2.5-meter fault slip in Myanmar? A 7.7 magnitude earthquake on the Sagaing Fault caused the ground to rupture.
The earthquake occurred on March 28, 2025, near Mandalay. It was a strike-slip event, meaning two blocks of earth slid past each other horizontally. This powerful and deadly quake shook the region significantly. The groundbreaking CCTV footage offers a direct visual record of the fault movement, a phenomenon previously unrecorded on video.
Detailed analysis reveals pulse-like rupture and curved slip path
Researchers from Kyoto University employed a pixel cross-correlation technique to analyze the footage. They measured the fault’s rapid 2.5-meter slip, which reached speeds of up to 3.2 meters per second. The entire slip event lasted only 1.3 seconds, characterizing it as a “pulse-like rupture”—a swift, intense burst of movement along the fault.
Further analysis revealed that the fault slip path was subtly curved. This finding challenges earlier theories of purely linear fault ruptures and aligns with geological observations made worldwide.
New frontiers in earthquake science and future research
This unprecedented video observation provides seismologists with powerful new tools. Scientists can now better understand fault behavior and earthquake mechanics. Capturing such detailed fault movement in real time is expected to improve earthquake models and predictions for future ground shaking, which is vital for disaster preparedness.
The research team plans to conduct further studies. They aim to explore the factors influencing fault slip shape and speed through physics-based simulations. This work seeks to unlock deeper insights into earthquake dynamics globally.
