Seismicity of China

Aftershocks of Sichuan Earthquke, 12 May - 12 June, 2008

29-33 Deg N, 101 - 105 deg E (source - ANSS catalogue)


Main Shock	Magnitude 7.9
Events >= mag 6	1 event (mag 6.1) 5 hrs after main shock
Events, Mag 5.0 - 5.9	38 events

Earthquakes in China since 1900, causing 1000 or more deaths

DATE	NORTH	EAST	MAG	REGION	DEATHS
30 July 1917	28.0	104.0	6.5		1,800
13 Feb 1918	23.5	117.0	7.3	Guandong	10,000
16 Dec 1920	35.8	105.7	7.8	Gansu	200,000
24 Mar 1923	31.3	100.8	7.3		5,000
16 Mar 1925	25.5	100.3	7.1	Yunnan	5,000
22 May 1927	36.8	102.8	7.9	Tsinghai	200,000
25 Dec 1932	39.7	97.0	7.6	Gansu	70,000
18 Aug 1933	32.0	103.7	7.4		10,000
25 July 1969	21.6	111.9	5.9		3,000
04 Jan 1970	24.1	102.5	7.5	Tonghai,Yunnan	10,000
10 May 1974	28.2	104.0	6.8	Zhaotong,Yunnan	20,000
04 Feb 1975	40.6	122.5	7.0	Haicheng, Liaoning	10,000
27 July 1976	39.6	118.0	7.5	Tangshan, Hebei	255,000
12 May 2008	31.0	103.32	7.9	Eastern Sichuan	90,000 approx

information source - USGS

Map of events

RECENT SIGNIFICANT EARTHQUAKES IN CHINA

DATE	LATITUDE	LONGITUDE	MAG	REGION	COMMENT
06 Oct 2008	29.76 N	90.32 E	6.4	Xizang	75 Km W of Lhasa, 9 killed
12 May 2008	31.0 N	103.2 E	7.9	Eastern Sichuan	approx 90,000 killed, and $US 90 Billion damage aftershocks occurred in a linear trend, approx 300 km long and tending NE-SW, at eastern boundary of Tibetan Plateau
26 Nov 2005	29.51 N	115.63 E	4.6	Hubei-Jiangxi border region	14 killed
24 Feb 2003	39.61 N	77.23 E	6.3	Sthn Xinjiang	261 killed, and 5 more next day in a mag 5.4 aftershock
03 Feb 1996	27.29 N	100.28 E	6.6	Yunnan	322 killed

Tectonic Framework

map modified from State Seismological Bureau of China, 1993

A - Philippines Sea Plate

B - Burma Plate

C- India Plate

D - Eurasian Plate

One of the most active faults in China, and indeed the world, is the Xianshuihe Fault, which is about 400 km North of Kunming. It has a Northwesterly strike, and sinistral displacement, and is about 350 km long. There have been 8 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or more on the fault since 1725. However, there have been no large ( Mag > 6.5) earthquakes on the fault since 1985.

Map of earthquakes in China - December 2004 - December 2005

The Tangshan earthquake, 27 July, 1976

This earthquake was one of the world's most destructive earthquakes, and killed possibly over 600,000 people, and nearly completely destroyed the city of Tangshan, 160 km eaast of Beijing.

The earthquake occurred on the northwestern margin of the North China Basin, which has been the site of many destructive earthquakes. After being relatively quiet for more than 100 years, the period 1966 - 1976 was remarkably active, with five separate destructive earthquake sequences, as indicated on the figure below.

The Tangshan earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1, and there were many aftershocks, two of which had magnitudes of 6.0 or more. A magnitude 6.1 event occurred the following day ( July 28) and a magnitude 6.0 event on Nov 15, 1976.

The earthquake occurred on a strike-slip fault which was orientated to the north-northeast.

Information from Nabelek and others, Journal of Geophysical Research, 1987

(deep yellow = North China Basin. Black circles indicate earthquakes Mag > 7 since 1600)

LARGE EARTHQUAKES IN MONGOLIA

Mongolia has been the location of some very large intra-plate earthquakes, which have also resulted in surface faulting, a relatively uncommon occurrence.

Large events since 1900 causing surface faulting are tabulated below

DATE	NAME	Mag	LAT	LONG	Fault Length
1905 July 09		8.4	49 N	98E	130 Km
1905 July 23	Bulnay	8.7	49 N	98E	350 Km
1931 Aug 10		8.0	47.1N	89.8E
1957 Dec 04	Gobi-Altay	8.3	45.2 N	99.4 E	250 Km
1967 Jan 05	Mogod	7.0	48.1N	102.8E	36 Km

Seismicity of Western Australia

Seismicity of China

Aftershocks of Sichuan Earthquke, 12 May - 12 June, 2008

RECENT SIGNIFICANT EARTHQUAKES IN CHINA

Tectonic Framework

LARGE EARTHQUAKES IN MONGOLIA