[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# Dynamic Rupture Process of the 2025 Mw 7.1 Dingri, Tibet, Earthquake: Insights into the Role of Fault Geometry and Stress Heterogeneity

Xie, 2026, Seismological Research Letters — Geology

Patterns: [Distinctions](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/distinctions), [Relationships](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/relationships)

## In short

Asymmetric pre-existing stress is shown to causally control how the rupture propagates (R), and a geometric bend in the fault acts as a discrete stress-concentration boundary sharply distinct from the surrounding fault trace (D).

## What they found (results)

3D dynamic rupture simulations of the 2025 Dingri earthquake show that a fault-geometry bend and pre-existing stress heterogeneity, not total fault length, determined the rupture's unilateral northward directivity, roughly 25-second duration, and aftershock clustering.

## Abstract

The 2025 Mw 7.1 Dingri earthquake provides a rare opportunity to investigate the dynamic rupture behavior of a normal fault within the South Tibetan rift system. In this study, we perform three-dimensional (3D) dynamic rupture simulations using the spectral element method to investigate the complex rupture process along the Dingmucuo fault. Our model incorporates a 3D curved fault with the initial slip distribution parameterized via a Bayesian von Karman approach. The simulation successfully reproduces the observed Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar coseismic deformation, capturing a predominantly unilateral northward-propagating rupture with a rupture duration of ∼25 s. We find that an asymmetric initial stress distribution controls rupture directivity, arresting brief southward propagation. Additionally, the geometric bend in the northwestern segment acts as a critical geometric barrier, inducing localized stress concentrations where slip rate reaches ∼1.0 m/s. These simulated dynamic processes are spatially consistent with the observed localized surface ruptures and the heterogeneous distribution of aftershock clusters. Our findings highlight the profound impact of complex fault geometry and initial stress heterogeneity on the dynamic evolution of normal-faulting earthquakes, with implications for seismic hazard assessment in the Shenzha-Dingjie rift.

These researchers were not testing DSRP. The finding is theirs; the correspondence to DSRP is drawn by this site.

[Source](https://doi.org/10.1785/0220250442)