Computer models can simulate the extent of such a large earthquake, but researchers say Friday's catastrophe revealed new insights on what to expect. For one, the Myanmar earthquake was probably a supershear event - when shaking is stronger than expected for a particular earthquake, said Zhigang Peng, a professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Supershear events are rare and not fully understood. Scientists have found growing evidence that they usually occur on long, mature strike-slip faults, such as the Sagaing or San Andreas faults. But they don't know the exact conditions that may cause a rupture to trigger such extreme shaking.

Peng said that by examining what conditions caused this in Myanmar, "it informs our understanding of similar potential events, for example, on the San Andres Fault."