Distant ground stations estimated Myanmar earthquake uplift through the upper atmosphere

Signals recorded more than 300 kilometers from the epicenter helped researchers infer where the fault pushed the ground upward.

Abstract editorial illustration accompanying the article: Distant ground stations estimated Myanmar earthquake uplift through the upper atmosphere

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

The 28 March 2025 earthquake ruptured about 480 kilometers of the Sagaing Fault, but sparse ground-based positioning measurements near the fault made its three-dimensional surface movements difficult to determine. Radar measurements showed several meters of sideways motion, while separating vertical movement from those data is challenging.

In the new approach, researchers analyzed changes in the amount of electrically charged material in the upper atmosphere, recorded by satellite-navigation stations more than 300 kilometers from the epicenter along the India–Myanmar border. They used the timing and size of three peaks in these signals to estimate the positions and relative strengths of acoustic wave sources, then compared the results with fault-slip estimates from seismological observations.

Three signals from the quake

The researchers identified three distinct peaks in the upper-atmosphere signal recorded at remote satellite-navigation stations. The peaks’ arrival times and amplitudes were used to determine the positions and relative strengths of three acoustic wave sources associated with the earthquake. The results were compared with slip distributions inferred from seismological observations, demonstrating that these remote signals can indirectly constrain vertical, or upward, surface movements along the fault.

Why remote signals help

The earthquake ruptured a long section of the Sagaing Fault, where sparse measurements near the fault limited direct estimates of three-dimensional ground movement. The study shows that stations more than 300 kilometers away can provide information about coseismic uplift through signals transmitted into the upper atmosphere, adding a possible source of evidence when nearby measurements are limited.

Evidence and limits

This is a study based on ionospheric measurements from remote satellite-navigation stations, with the inferred sources compared against seismological estimates of fault slip. The method estimates uplift indirectly rather than measuring vertical ground movement directly. The abstract does not report absolute uplift values or establish how accurately the inferred movements match direct measurements. It also notes that nearby ground-station coverage was sparse and that separating vertical motion from radar observations is difficult.

Drone maps spotted crop water stress before other plant measures changed

High-resolution drone maps detected early crop water stress before changes appeared in other plant measurements. The approach tracked evapotranspiration—the movement of water from soil and plants into the air—across sugar beet, potato and winter wheat fields.

1 hour ago

Climate & Environment

Pilot wastewater system destroyed more than 99% of PFAS in concentrated foam

A pilot-scale system removed long-chain PFAS, including PFOS and PFOA, from municipal wastewater and concentrated the compounds in a small volume of foam. Under the best-performing conditions, a subsequent treatment destroyed and removed more than 99% of measured PFAS in that concentrated foam.

6 hours ago·3 views

Climate & Environment

Humpback whales feed more often when California sea lions are nearby

Humpback whales in Monterey Bay fed more frequently when California sea lions were present. The whales appeared to spend less time searching and approaching prey, while the effort and movement of individual lunges showed no detectable increase.

14 hours ago·6 views