Scientists have classified the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28 as a rare type known as a "super-displacement," in which the energy from a fault spreads through the Earth at tremendous speed, increasing the devastation.
This came in an analysis conducted by the Helmholtz Centre in Potsdam, Germany, according to seismologist Frederick Thielmann.
"A super-displacement fault is comparable to the aftershock of a supersonic jetliner," Tillman said. "These types of faults are generally rare, but they are relatively common in a special class of seismic events."
The scientist noted that these findings are preliminary, saying, "If this hypothesis is confirmed, the geological fault that occurred during the earthquake—the giant Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south across the heart of Myanmar—could be 400 kilometers or more in extent. This is expected to become clearer soon when satellite images of the area before and after the disaster are studied."
In superdifference earthquakes, the fault propagates faster than the seismic waves it generates. This phenomenon can concentrate seismic energy into a wavefront, causing greater damage over greater distances than normal earthquakes. For example, a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, Thailand, collapsed even though the earthquake's epicenter was approximately 1,000 kilometers away.
This region is considered geologically active, as the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. Since 900, the region has experienced six other earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 7 on the Richter scale. The portion of the Sagaing Fault that ruptured on March 28th lies in the Mandalay region, which itself lies within a seismic gap. This region has not experienced earthquakes for a long time, making it particularly vulnerable.