Coseismic surface rupture characteristics and earthquake damage analysis of the eastern end of the 2021 MS 7.4 Madoi (Qinghai) earthquake

Abstract

At 02:04 on May 22, 2021, an MS 7.4 earthquake occurred in Madoi County in Qinghai Province, China. This earthquake is the largest seismic event in China since the 2008 MS 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake. Thus, it is critical to investigate surface deformation and damage in time to accurately understand the seismogenic structure of the Madoi earthquake and the seismogenic capacity of the blocks in this region. This study focuses on the Xuema Village, located at the eastern end of the coseismic surface ruptures produced by the event, and assesses the deformation and seismic damage in this area based on field surveys, UAV photogrammetry, and ground penetrating radar (GPR). The results indicate that the rupture scale is substantially smaller at the eastern end of the rupture zone compared to other segments. En echelon type shear tensile fractures are concentrated in a width range of 50–100 m, and the width of single fractures ranges from 20 to 30 cm. In contrast, the degree of seismic damage significantly increases at this site. All of the brick and timber houses are damaged or collapsed, while the steel frame structures and the color steel houses are slightly damaged. More than 80% of the bridge decks on the Changma River Bridge collapse, similar to the terraces along the Youerqu and Changma Rivers and the cut slopes of Provincial Highway S205. We infer that the seismogenic fault of the Madoi earthquake exerts a tail effect in this segment. The tension zone has led to a reduction at the eastern end of the rupture zone, causing shaking damage. Local topography and buildings without earthquake-resistant construction along the strike of the rupture zone have undergone different levels of seismic damage.