Earthquake ruptures can unzip fault lines for hundreds of kilometers
The biggest quakes do not shake from a single point — they unzip a fault, with the rupture front racing along the break for tens to hundreds of kilometers in minutes.
Each segment that slips adds seismic waves. Longer ruptures generally mean higher magnitudes, and the direction of rupture can focus shaking toward some cities more than others.
That moving tear is why intensity maps look streaky. Standing far from the epicenter is no guarantee of safety if the fault is racing toward you underfoot.
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