Direct estimation of earthquake source properties from a single CCTV camera

We present a direct measurement of the slip-rate function from a natural coseismic rupture, recorded on 28 March 2025, during the moment magnitude (M_w) 7.7 Mandalay earthquake (Myanmar). This measurement was made using video footage of the surface rupture captured by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) security camera located only meters away from the fault trace. Using direct image analysis, we measured the relative slip at each time step and deduced the slip rate. Our results show a local slip duration of 1.4 seconds and a cumulative slip of ~3 meters, during which surface slip velocity peaked at ~3.5 meters per second with passage of the rupture front. These findings demonstrate the pulse-like nature of the seismic rupture at the location of the recording. Using slip-pulse elastodynamic rupture models, we obtained the complete mechanical properties of this pulse, including the energy release rate.