Earthquake is one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in the world. It has the ability to bring tremendous damage to the people as well as the nature itself. An earthquake usually is a cause from the movement of the tectonic plates. The movement is originated from the heating and cooling of the rocks underneath, the plates then would move and crash into each other generating the vibration. The epicenter, which is the location of the center point of the earthquake, would send seismic waves traveling from rocks and then finally reaching to the surface of the earth. Aftershocks may arise due to the new setting of these mutable shifting plates. (http://www.iitr.ac.in/centers/TIFAC/database/earth%20quakes/causes.html)An earthquake is measured by the seismometer where it measures the ground shaking by drawing the seismogram. The Richter magnitude scale measures its strength. (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangshan_earthquake)
Here is a simple diagram illustrating an earthquake. The earthquake source is similar to the epicenter.
During June 28th 1976, the Tangshan Earthquake occurred in Hebei, China. Tangshan earthquake occurred in the early morning at 03:42:52 local time, and the earthquake itself lasted for approximately 15 seconds. This earthquake is believed to be largest earthquake with highest death toll during the 20th century. Tangshan was the industrial city, in Hebei, which held almost one million inhabitants, including roughly 1 million people. This earthquake’s epicenter is located close to Tangshan.The residents of that area where still sleeping in the quiet city but was wakened by the fatal earthquake with a 7.8 magnitude on the Richter scale. (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangshan_earthquake)
Here is a picture of Dong Wu of Qinglong’s collapsed house. Dong Wu, who moved to stayed at his relative’s house. He informed the people that an earthquake is imminent, which he made sure that everyone packed their clothes on their bedside and ready to escape. On the day of the earthquake, everyone in his house was alive and well because they were fast enough to escape from the heavy roof. (http://www.globalwatch.org/ungp/doctor2.jpg)
(http://www.globalwatch.org/ungp/doctor2.jpg)
The effects of this earthquake are numerous, as well as very costly. Many people are affect as well as different infrastructures. 85% of the buildings collapsed or was ruined, and according to Hebei Revolutionary Committee that there were 655,000 deaths and 779,00 injuries. Surrounding cities and villages of Tangshan also faced some severe damages as well such as the cities of Qinhuangdaw and Tianjin. Tangshan is made up of metallurgy, coal, electric power, ceramics, and building materials industries. More than half of the construction was residential buildings, and 25 percent was it’s industrial structures and the remaining percentages for the construction of schools, hospitals and other buildings. Nearly all of the buildings within the area of the highest intensity collapsed. (https://www.cat-desk.com/Publications/1976Tangshan.pdf). However these damages are not only from the 15 seconds strike of the earthquake it also includes the high number of aftershocks that followed. (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangshan_earthquake)
This is a picture of Tangshan Rolling stock plant, which collapsed and had to break off its production for almost 6 months.
(https://www.cat-desk.com/Publications/1976Tangshan.pdf)
China lies on the Asian continent and the Indian plate, and the pacific plate surrounds it. The Indian plate pushes up from the northeastward, as well as the force from the Pacific plates, which is shifting to the direction of the west. Nevertheless, the major that precipitates this earthquake is the westward movement of the pacific plate on the fault line of Tan-Lu. (http://www.scieds.com/spinet/historical/china.html)
(http://www.scieds.com/spinet/historical/china.html)
There were many reasons to why the damages of this earthquake were at a considerable amount. Tangshan was an area that was not highly expected for an earthquake to develop, which is why the buildings in Tangshan weren’t built to tolerate a happening an earthquake. It was mostly built on the unstable alluvial soil, which brings the collapse of many buildings. Predictions and signs of warning system was given to notice however, it was not very effective. Some people report of seeing earthquake lights and the water level did rise above normal. The Wang Chengmin state of Seismological Bureau Analysis and Prediction Department did state earlier that around the Tangshan area a crucial earthquake would occur during July 22, 1976 to August 5, 1976. So, some part of the people were informed and were saved, however the earthquake occurred at the early morning which is not such a perfect timing and so it is why people are still under their sheets and unable to evacuate. (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangshan_earthquake)
This is a picture of a construction built on the underlying alluvial soil and due to liquefaction of soil it was unable to hold itself through the earthquake.
(https://www.cat-desk.com/Publications/1976Tangshan.pdf)
The effects of the earthquake was huge and some part was able to handle it very well (MEDC’s), however most of the areas weren’t able to make quick recoveries and reconstruction (LEDC’s). Haresh Shah, co-founder of RMS and Obayashi Professor (Emeritus) at Stanford University went to visit Tangshan four years after the earthquake. He stated that the area was still in devastation. He mentioned that local motor, coal, steel factories were not yet ready and rebuilt. Only one area was with the newly constructed building for survivors. On the outside of Tangshan, there were many improvements done, however in the city people still lived in tents, sheds, and some even lived under the collapsed space. The relocated of the displaced population couldn’t be concluded in several days. Although there were vast number of volunteers and army personnel who came to Tangshan and help to rescue those survivors and bring aid to those who were injured or homeless. In nutshell it shows that the aids and help were given to people not too slow which shows that the country had the ability to help and aid it’s people. However, at the year of 1976, China was still not an MEDC’s so, they lacked the technology and money, which could enable them to reconstruct those damaged buildings, and shelter for the people. It took more time for the city to get back on it’s feet and proceed with it’s former industries.(https://www.cat-desk.com/Publications/1976Tangshan.pdf)
This is a picture of the immediate rescue for the citizens.
- "Causes of Earthquake." Plate tectonics, Cause of earthquake. 2 Dec 2007 <-http://www.iitr.ac.in/centers/TIFAC/database/earth%20quakes/causes.html>.
- "Images." Reference Sources. 2 Dec 2007
- "Doctor." Global Watch. 2 Dec 2007
- Grossi, Patricia. The 1976 Great Tangshan Earthquake. RMS. 2 Dec 2007
- "The deadliest earthquake of the 20th century." 1976 Tangshan Earthquake. SpiNet. 2 Dec 2007
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