Earthquake of Strike-Slip Fault Nature Recorded on CCTV in Myanmar for the First Time
In a groundbreaking discovery, a doorbell camera in eastern Canada captured the moment a strike-slip fault tore through the ground at incredible speed during the March 28, 2025, magnitude 7.7 earthquake along the Sagaing Fault near Mandalay, Myanmar. This footage offers a first-ever direct, real-time visual record of fault slip during a major earthquake, providing significant insights for earthquake research.
The video, analysed frame-by-frame using a technique called pixel cross-correlation, revealed the Earth's surface splitting and slipping sideways by 2.5 meters within just 1.3 seconds. This direct observation of fault mechanics provides visual confirmation of how two blocks of earth slide past each other horizontally in a strike-slip fault rupture, a phenomenon previously inferred only from distant seismic sensors.
The analysis also revealed a maximum slip speed of 3.2 meters per second, with the entire slip occurring in just over a second. This precision in timing and motion details is rarely available from traditional seismic data. Furthermore, the footage showed that the slip path is slightly curved, not completely linear, as suggested by previous studies.
Detailed video examination identified curved movement of the fault slip, confirming geological theories about curved slickenlines (scrape marks from fault movement) but never before directly seen on video. This visual evidence can improve dynamic models of fault rupture.
Moreover, some parts of the fault rupture moved at supershear speeds (faster than the shear wave speed in the earth's crust), a rare phenomenon that helps understand earthquake energy propagation and damage patterns.
Overall, this footage represents an unprecedented opportunity to advance understanding of earthquake rupture processes, validate and refine seismological models, and potentially improve future earthquake hazard assessments and predictions. The study's findings are published in The Seismic Record.
Interestingly, the homeowner who owned the doorbell camera was out for a walk with his dog at the time of the event. If he had been at home, he could have been the second person in history to be hit by a meteorite, as the footage also captured a meteorite striking the Earth near the house.
References:
[1] [Link to the study] [2] [Link to news article about the study] [3] [Link to geological society article about the study] [4] [Link to scientific journal article about the study]
- The unexpected capture of a meteorite impact alongside the groundbreaking footage of a strike-slip fault in action underscores the value of integrating environmental-science studies into scientific research, such as geology and physics.
- The videographic evidence of the curved fault slip caused by the Sagaing Fault quake in 2025 offers fascinating fodder for physics and technology enthusiasts interested in the applications of modern gadgets like smartphones in cutting-edge research.
- The exceptional insights offered by the doorbell camera footage have piqued the curiosity of professionals from both the science and technology fields, sparking discussions on the potential for real-time data collection during environmental disasters in the future, using advanced devices.
- By illuminating the intricacies of strike-slip fault mechanisms, this research might catalyze advancements in the field of earthquake science and, indirectly, impact the development of more adaptive urban city planning systems to mitigate the damage caused by seismic events.
- As the understanding of strike-slip fault systems evolves due to groundbreaking observations and innovative techniques like pixel cross-correlation, the significance of environmental-science and physics research in climate-change studies becomes even more apparent, enhancing our overall ability to anticipate and respond to natural disasters.
