The 11th January 2018, Mw 6.0 Bago-Yoma, Myanmar earthquake: A shallow
thrust event within the deforming Bago-Yoma Range
Abstract
On 11 January 2018 (18:26 UTC), a Mw 6.0 earthquake occurred
approximately 30 km west of the Sagaing Fault in the Bago-Yoma Range
(BYR). Using a local broadband seismic network and regional seismic
stations, we refine the source parameters of the earthquake sequence. We
relocate ~100 earthquake epicenters and determine the
focal mechanism and centroid depth of the mainshock and 20 aftershocks
with Mw>4. The relocated epicenters are distributed in an
elongated zone oriented in a NW-SE direction that is consistent with the
strike of the mainshock fault plane solution and the slip distribution
derived from ALOS-2 InSAR observations. Most of the aftershocks have a
pure thrust focal mechanism similar to the mainshock, except for four
strike-slip aftershocks. The refined source parameters of the thrust
events clearly delineate a fault dipping ~40˚ to the
southwest at a depth range of 3-7 km, indicating that the earthquake
sequence ruptured a previously unmapped, active fault. We interpret the
earthquake sequence to be associated with pre-existing faults within the
BYR anticlinorium. This earthquake sequence and historical seismicity
indicate that the upper crust of the BYR is highly stressed, resulting
in ongoing distributed deformation between the oblique Rakhine
megathrust and the dextral Sagaing Fault. The seismic hazard posed by
these active faults has been increasing with the development of
infrastructure such as dams within the BYR. Our study highlights the
need for high-resolution earthquake source parameter and strong ground
motion attenuation studies for seismic hazard preparation and further
understanding of the neotectonics of Myanmar.