Fault maturity has been proposed to exert a first order control on earthquake rupture, yet direct observations linking individual rupture to long‐term fault growth are rare. The 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo earthquake ruptured the east‐growing end of the slow‐moving (∼1 mm/yr) Jiangcuo fault in north Tibet, providing an opportunity to examine the relation between rupture characteristics and fault structure. Here we combine field and multiple remote sensing techniques to map the surface rupture at cm‐resolution and document comprehensively on‐fault offsets and off‐fault deformation. The 158 km‐long surface rupture consists of misoriented structurally inherited N110°‐striking segments and younger optimally oriented N093°‐striking segments, relative to the regional stress field. Despite being comparatively newly formed, the ∼N093°‐striking fault segments accommodate more localized strain, with up to 3 m on‐fault left‐lateral slip and 25%–50% off‐fault deformation, and possibly faster rupture speed. These results are in contrast with previous findings showing more localized strain and faster rupture speed on more mature fault segments; instead, our observations suggest that fault orientation with respect to the regional stress can exert a more important control than fault maturity on coseismic rupture behavior when both factors are at play.

Surface ruptures and coseismic slip distributions of large earthquakes are the keys to understanding earthquake rupture processes, analyzing rupture history of associated faults, and assessing earthquake hazards. Detailed mapping of surface ruptures of large historical earthquakes is needed but is difficult in remote regions. The 1955 $Ms$ 7.5 Zheduotang earthquake occurred in a prominent restraining bend of the central sinistral Xianshuihe fault and within a high‐relief and densely vegetated mountain range. This study characterizes the 1955 earthquake surface rupture via 50 cm resolution airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, combined with field investigations. Our mapping of geomorphic features showed that relatively fresh mole tracks and fault scarps are still preserved beneath the dense vegetation cover. The 1955 earthquake ruptured at least 30 km in length, which consisted of four sections separated by stepovers or changes in the strike. Overall, the multistranded rupture was more complex than that of other historical earthquakes to the northwest along the Xianshuihe fault but consistent with its local structural setting. We collected 47 LiDAR‐derived and 48 field‐based left‐lateral (with minor vertical) measurements. The clustering of the smallest offsets suggests that the average sinistral coseismic displacement of the 1955 earthquake was ∼2.1 m based on LiDAR‐derived data and ∼1.5 m based on field measurements. This difference highlights the ambiguity and difficulties associated with surface rupture investigations of historical earthquakes decades after the event. The rupture length (∼30 km) and average sinistral displacement (1.5–2.1 m) suggest a moment magnitude of 6.6–7.4 based on empirical relationships of strike‐slip earthquakes worldwide. The magnitude is smaller than the widely accepted $Ms$ 7.5 in the catalog, suggesting that the previously reported magnitude was possibly overestimated. Our data have implications for the seismic hazard evaluation of the Sichuan–Tibet railway, which passes through the northern part of the ruptured fault.

The 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo (Madoi) earthquake that struck the northern Tibetan Plateau resulted in widespread coseismic deformation features, such as surface ruptures and soil liquefaction. By utilizing the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry technology, we accurately recognize and map 39,286 liquefaction sites within a 1.5 km wide zone along the coseismic surface rupture. We then systematically analyze the coseismic liquefaction distribution characteristics and the possible influencing factors. The coseismic liquefaction density remains on a higher level within 250 m from the surface rupture and decreases in a power law with the increasing distance. The amplification of the seismic waves in the vicinity of the rupture zone enhances the liquefaction effects near it. More than 90% of coseismic liquefaction occurs in the peak ground acceleration (PGA) > 0.50 g, and the liquefaction density is significantly higher in the region with seismic intensity > VIII. Combined with the sedimentary distribution along-strike of the surface rupture, the mapped liquefaction sites indicate that the differences in the sedimentary environments could cause more intense liquefaction on the western side of the epicenter, where loose Quaternary deposits are widely spread. The stronger coseismic liquefaction sites correspond to the Eling Lake section, the Yellow River floodplain, and the Heihe River floodplain, where the soil is mostly saturated with loose fine-grained sand and the groundwater level is high. Our results show that the massive liquefaction caused by the strong ground shaking during the Maduo (Madoi) earthquake was distributed as the specific local sedimentary environment and the groundwater level changed.

Geometric complexities play an important role in the nucleation, propagation, and termination of strike-slip earthquake ruptures. The 2021 Mw7.4 Maduo earthquake rupture initiated at a large releasing stepover with a complex fault intersection. In the epicentral region, we conducted detailed mapping and classification of the surface ruptures and slip measurements associated with the earthquake, combining high-resolution uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) images and optical image correlation with field investigations. Our findings indicate that the coseismic ruptures present discontinuous patterns mixed with numerous lateral spreadings due to strong ground shaking. The discontinuous surface ruptures are uncharacteristic in slip to account for the large and clear displacements of offset landforms in the epicentral region. Within the releasing stepovers, the deformation zone revealed from the optical image correlation map indicates that a fault may cut diagonally across the pull-apart basin at depth. The left-lateral horizontal coseismic displacements from field measurements are typically ≤0.6 m, significantly lower than the 1–2.7 m measured from the optical image correlation map. Such a discrepancy indicates a significant proportion of off-fault deformation or the possibility that the rupture stopped at a shallow depth during its initiation phase instead of extending to the surface. The fault network and multi-fault junctions west and south of the epicenter suggest a possible complex path, which retarded the westward propagation at the initial phase of rupture growth. A hampered initiation might enhance the seismic ground motion and the complex ground deformation features at the surface, including widespread shaking-related fissures.