Regional-Scale Inventory of Liquefaction Triggered by the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay Earthquake, Myanmar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64862/Keywords:
Co-seismic ground failure, Liquefaction, Satellite-based mapping, Sentinel-2, Myanmar, GeomorphologyAbstract
On March 28, 2025, a Mw 7.7 earthquake ruptured a ~500 km segment of the strike-slip Sagaing Fault in central Myanmar. The earthquake produced widespread structural damage and co-seismic ground failures, including extensive liquefaction and lateral spreading. This study presents the first systematic mapping and analysis of earthquake-induced liquefaction associated with the 2025 Mandalay earthquake, using medium resolution Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite imagery acquired shortly after the earthquake. We identified over 18,000 liquefaction sites within an area of more than 80,000 km², with the highest concentrations along the Irrawaddy and Sittang River valleys, in vicinity to the fault rupture. Liquefaction predominantly occurred in Holocene fluvial deposits, including meandering channels, floodplains, and abandoned paleochannels, reflecting the influence of geomorphology and sediment characteristics. Over 95% of the sites were located within 20 km of the fault rupture. Our results demonstrate the importance of integrating geomorphic, lithological, and seismic parameters into regional-scale assessments of seismic hazard.
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