1709 Zhongwei earthquake

Earthquake in China 1709 Zhongwei earthquake China Ningxia#China yes 1709 10 14 morning 7.5 s yNational Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Significant Earthquake Information 1972 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/1180 31 March 2022 10.7289/V5TD9V7K 37.4 105.3 region:ID_type:event inline,title Strike-slip Tianjingshan Fault Zhongwei, Viceroy of Shan-Shaan, Qing Dynasty X 2,032 dead The region of Ningxia (then part of Shaanxi, ruled by the Viceroy of Shan-Shaan) was struck by a major earthquake on the morning of 14 October 1709. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.5 s yes and a maximum felt intensity of X (extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. The city of Zhongwei was badly damaged, including a section of the Great Wall. A total of 2,032 people were killed. Tectonic setting Zhongwei lies close to the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The plateau is a large region of thickened crust created by the ongoing collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The thickened crust is spreading laterally towards the east, accommodate by a series of mainly sinistral (left lateral) strike-slip faults, such as the Kunlun Fault and Haiyuan Fault. A major splay of the Haiyuan Fault is the Tianjingshan Fault, which is also a sinistral strike-slip fault in its western part, where it runs close to Zhongwei, passing into a mainly thrust fault section to the east, where it accommodates shortening between the Tibetan Plateau and the Ordos Block.LI X. Li C. Pierce I.K.D. Zhang P. Dong J. Chen G Ai M. Ren G. Luo Q. 2019 New slip rates for the Tianjingshan fault using optically stimulated luminescence, GPS, and paleoseismic data, NE Tibet, China Tectonophysics 755 64–74 10.1016/j.tecto.2019.02.007 2019Tectp.755...64L Earthquake The earthquake is known to have ruptured the central segment of the Tianjingshan Fault and part of the eastern segment. There is a clear surface rupture of 53 km and trenching across the fault zone has confirmed that this resulted from the 1709 earthquake. An average sinistral displacement of 4.8 ±0.8 m has been estimated for this event, with a maximum offset of about 7.4 m.LIu-Jeng J. Shao Y. Klinger Y. Xie K. Yuan D. Lei Z. 2015 Variability in magnitude of paleoearthquakes revealed by trenching and historical records, along the Haiyuan Fault, China Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 120 12 8304–8333 10.1002/2015JB012163 2015JGRB..120.8304L free Aftershocks affected the area several times a day for the first 50 days, dying out completely about a year later. Damage In Zhongwei, the earthquake caused the collapse of many walls, including about three-quarters of the city walls. Many buildings were destroyed, including houses, schools, county offices, government buildings and the Temple of Confucius. Flooding was reported in areas south of the Yellow River. A 5 km section of the Great Wall collapsed at Jingyuan. See also List of historical earthquakes List of earthquakes in China References Category:Earthquakes in Ningxia Category:1700s earthquakes Category:1700s in China Category:1709 in Asia Category:18th-century disasters in China Category:1709 disasters