In seismology, a buried rupture earthquake, or blind earthquake, is an earthquake which does not produce a visible offset in the ground along the fault (as opposed to a surface rupture earthquake, which does). When the fault in question is a thrust fault, the earthquake is known as a blind thrust earthquake.
Recorded ground motions of large surface-rupture earthquakes are weaker than the ground motions from buried rupture earthquakes.
The asperity for a buried rupture earthquakes is in area deeper than roughly 5km (03miles). Examples are the Loma Prieta earthquake, Northridge earthquake, and the Noto Hanto earthquake.[1]
As compared to the seabed surface rupture case, uplifted water outside the fault plane in buried rupture earthquakes makes for large tsunami waves.[2]