The “whiplash” effect: how earthquakes are caused and how to stop them

The stopping phase of the earthquake. ©Credit KyotoU / Jesse Kearse Researchers from Kyoto University have identified a “pause phase” in seismic data that occurs when an earthquake hits a barrier and suddenly stops

This phase creates violent “shocking” ground motion that current seismic engineering is not fully designed to handle, highlighting a new priority for protecting buildings near fault lines.

While we often study how earthquakes start, a new discovery from researchers at Kyoto University, published in the journal Science on April 23, 2026, focuses on how earthquakes end.

By analyzing “strong motion” data near fault lines, the team identified a distinct stall phase — a violent, whiplash-like ground motion that occurs when a rupture hits a barrier and suddenly stops.

The secret of the negative phase

The researchers observed a consistent “negative phase” in seismic waveforms that does not fit current models. By combining ground motion recordings, satellite data, and numerical simulations, they realized that these dips represent the actual moment when the earthquake “strikes on the brakes.”

Key Findings: Abrupt versus Gradual Stopping: Earthquakes generate their strongest stop signals when they hit a barrier and stop suddenly. If the rupture slows gradually, these signals are much weaker. Stop phase signal: This phase is characterized by a regular “negative movement” at the end of the rupture. Whiplash Action: The most serious consequence is that this stopping phase creates a sudden and severe “whiplash” impact into the ground.

New challenges for engineering

This “impact” movement is particularly concentrated at the endpoints of a fault line or at internal boundaries where the Earth’s crust changes. Because current earthquake-resistant engineering focuses primarily on the initial “shaking” phase, this new data represents a major challenge.

Engineers will now need to account for these specific high-intensity movements to protect structures located near the expected endpoints of major strike-slip faults. The team plans to continue building a global catalog of these stop phases to help improve seismic hazard models around the world.

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