Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake and updated length scaling of supershear earthquakes

Seismological Research Letters
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Abstract

The 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), earthquake ruptured 475 km of the central Sagaing fault and is the longest continental strike-slip rupture on record. The observed rupture length is 1.6–4.7 times the value expected (100–300 km) from existing length-magnitude scaling relations for strike-slip earthquakes. The earthquake resulted from shallow dextral faulting and ruptured bilaterally with supershear speeds south of the epicenter, rupturing close to three major cities in Myanmar and exposing over six million people to violent or extreme shaking. We report on the surface rupture character, length, and slip distribution based on sub-pixel correlation of Sentinel-2 (10 m) and Planet Dove (3 m) optical images and visual analysis of SkySat and WorldView (0.3–0.5 m) optical images. The earthquake had moderate surface slip (average = 3.3 m, maximum = 5.6 m, 25–75% range = 3.0–4.0 m), narrow deformation zone width (1–10 pixels in sub-pixel correlation and up to 190 meters for the detailed surface rupture mapping), and simple fault geometry (no stepovers or large changes in strike, 87% of the rupture that was mapped in detail is single-stranded). We attribute the extreme length of the Mandalay earthquake to supershear rupture speed, simple fault geometry, narrow down-dip width, and moderate surface slip. Based on a compilation of 25 supershear strike-slip earthquakes (Mw 6.5–8.6; 1979–2025), we find that the rupture length of supershear earthquakes does not fit empirical scaling relationships for strike-slip earthquakes that predict length from magnitude. A length-magnitude scaling relationship based on supershear earthquakes has a best fit of log10(surface rupture length) = 0.89 Mw – 4.44, indicating that supershear earthquakes tend to be longer than their subshear counterparts for any given magnitude and thus may expose a greater population to shaking.

Suggested Citation

Reitman, N.G., Wang, Y., Kuo, Y., Hanagan, C., Hatem, A.E., DuRoss, C.B., Chen, C., Goldberg, D.E., Yin, H.Z., Briggs, R.W., Thompson Jobe, J.A., Nicovich, S.R., Lynch, E.M., Powell, J.H., Barnhart, W.D., and Schmitt, R.G., 2026, Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2025 Mw7.7 Mandalay earthquake and updated length scaling of supershear earthquakes: Seismological Research Letters, 24 p., https://doi.org/10.1785/0220250257.

ISSN: 1938-2057 (online)

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2025 Mw7.7 Mandalay earthquake and updated length scaling of supershear earthquakes
Series title Seismological Research Letters
DOI 10.1785/0220250257
Edition Online First
Publication Date April 21, 2026
Year Published 2026
Language English
Publisher GeoScienceWorld
Contributing office(s) Geologic Hazards Science Center - Landslides / Earthquake Geology
Description 24 p.
Country Myanmar
City Mandalay
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