[Science on the Cover] Why did the Mandalay earthquake cause such widespread devastation?

This week's cover of Science features a photo taken a week after the earthquake that struck Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28. A giant Buddha statue lies face down in the rubble, victim of the earthquake's impact. The Mandalay earthquake caused deaths across Myanmar. Even in Bangkok, Thailand, located 1,000 kilometers from the epicenter, damage was so severe that a high-rise building under construction collapsed.

In the October 30 issue of Science (local time), four papers were published that explore the causes of the Mandalay earthquake's unusually rapid and sustained rupture, as well as its risks and causes.

On March 28, Mandalay, Myanmar's “second city”, which had been suffering from a tragic civil war for years, was devastated by a powerful earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale. Mandalay was directly hit by the massive earthquake amid the ongoing civil war between the junta and anti-junta forces.

After the National League for Democracy, led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, won the general election in November 2020, the military claimed voter fraud and staged a coup in February the following year. As the military violently suppressed the protests, the Government of National Unity, the Interim Democratic Government and several ethnic armed organizations engaged in armed conflict, resulting in an ongoing civil war.

The epicenter of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake was located just 33 kilometers west-southwest of Mandalay, a city with a population of 1.2 million people. The earthquake killed nearly 5,400 people and injured 11,000 others in four regions, including major cities such as Mandalay and Sagaing in central Myanmar. An estimated 8,300 Buddhist relics were destroyed.

The Sagaing Fault, where the earthquake occurred, runs from north to south across Myanmar. Many experts have long been concerned that the Sagaing Fault could cause a major earthquake. The Mandalay earthquake was much stronger and lasted longer than expected. The Sagaing Fault moved more than 460 km, and the rupture process lasted for 2 minutes.

The Mandalay earthquake was analyzed as being the result of “high-velocity fault rupture,” where the fault moved at a speed of about 5 kilometers per second. Normally, during an earthquake, the fault ruptures underground at a speed of about 3 kilometers per second. The rapid rupture speed of the Mandalay earthquake generated a powerful shock wave known as a “super rupture.” That is why the vibrations spread so far and the affected area was very wide.

An earthquake caused by supershear rupture is called a supershear earthquake. This is an earthquake in which the rupture propagates faster than the S waves (shear waves) it generates. S waves are seismic waves that travel at 3-4 kilometers per second, and in a typical earthquake, fault rupture propagates at about 70-90% of the speed of the S wave. A supershear earthquake can create a “geological sonic boom,” increasing the extent and magnitude of damage.

In a supershear earthquake, shock waves are compressed in the direction of the rupture, causing vibrations to be concentrated near the surface over a short period. It can travel farther than a normal earthquake and cause significant damage over a wide area.

According to an analysis of seismic and satellite data conducted by a US Geological Survey research team published in *Science* on the same day, the Sagaing Fault ruptured in two directions. To the north, it moved slowly at a speed of about 3 km per second for about 30 seconds, but severe rupture occurred in the southward direction. The quake passed through Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, and tore a “seismic gap” — a high-risk area that has not seen a major earthquake since 1839 — more than 100 kilometers.

“The 460 kilometers traveled by the Sagaing Fault is approximately twice the length of fault movement in a typical 7.7 magnitude earthquake,” the research team stated.

A joint research team, including the University of Toulouse in France, published a study in *Science* in which they analyzed surveillance camera footage from close to the Sagaing Fault to record and analyze actual ground motion. Through video analysis, the team observed the ground sliding at a speed of 3.5 meters per second for 1.4 seconds during the earthquake. The entire crack was not moving at once, but rather a very narrow section that slid violently for a moment.

<المراجع>-DOI: 10.1126/science.aec0791-DOI: 10.1126/science.ady3581-DOI: 10.1126/science.adz1705

Copyright ⓒ DongA Science. All rights reserved.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos