Fault Source Model and Stress Changes of the 2021 MW 7.4 Maduo Earthquake, China, Constrained by InSAR and GPS Measurements

On 22 May 2021, an M-W 7.4 earthquake struck Maduo, China, within the eastern Bayan Har block of the Tibetan plateau. The eastward-extruding Bayan Har block is marked by active seismicity along its boundary faults, including the 2008 M-W 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, but large earthquakes within the block are relatively rare. Thus, the Maduo earthquake could provide useful information about crustal deformation of the Tibetan plateau. Early reports, shortly after the earthquake, have suggested a sinistral strike-slip fault rupture, but the fault geometry and slip distribution vary in these models due to the limited observational constraints. Here, we reconstructed a model of fault geometry and coseismic slip using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar and Global Positioning System data. A nonplanar fault model was constructed based on pixel-offset images and the optimized dip angle. The along-strike variation of the dip angle is small, so a single optimized dip is used. Our results suggest that the Maduo earthquake ruptured similar to 156 km on a northwest-striking major fault that dips 78 degrees, and similar to 24 km on a minor southeast-striking fault that dips 64 degrees. Most fault slip occurred above 15 km depth, and released a moment of similar to 1.65 x 10(20) N.m. Using the resolved fault source model, we calculated the change of coulomb failure stress in the region and on the neighboring faults. The Maduo earthquake highlighted intrablock deformation in the Tibetan plateau whereas numerous lithospheric blocks extrude along major strike-slip faults.

Automated summary

On May 22, 2021, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in Maduo, China, providing valuable information about crustal deformation of the Tibetan plateau. Using radar and GPS data, a fault model was reconstructed, revealing that the earthquake mainly occurred on a northwest-striking major fault with a dip angle of 78 degrees, as well as a minor southeast-striking fault with a dip angle of 64 degrees. This earthquake highlighted intrablock deformation in the Tibetan plateau.