Fault Geometry and Tectonic Implications of the 2026 Jalapur Sharif Earthquake, Pakistan
Abstract
The 26 May 2026, Mw 4.5 Jalalpur earthquake, Pakistan, caused considerable damages around its epicentre. Investigations indicated a VII maximum intensity of the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, diminishing rapidly away from the source. Several earthquake-induced ground effects occurred, including liquefaction, temporary groundwater turbidity, differential settlement, tilting of utility poles and numerous landslides within the Quaternary deposits of the Tilla-Jogian Mountains. Observed pronounced North–South (N–S) ground motion was consistent with coseismic deformation within damaged infrastructure. Moment tensor inversion revealed that the earthquake originated at approximately 3 km depth, was characterized by predominant thrust faulting with a minor left-lateral strike-slip component, indicative of a transpressional tectonic regime. This mechanism is associated with a blind thrust beneath the Pabbi-Anticline and is supported by gravity modeling. Coulomb-stress analysis suggested that the Pabbi-Anticline was brought closer to failure after the 2019 Mw 5.8 Mirpur earthquake. However, seismic activation was delayed due to sustained increase in seismicity beginning in 2022. Both 2024 Mw 5.0 Kharian and 2026 Jalalpur earthquakes, occurred within this prolonged period of seismic activity. These observations suggest that stress transfer from the 2019 Mirpur earthquake, combined with progressive strain accumulation and localization along active structures, contributed to…
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