1679 Sanhe-Pinggu earthquake

Coordinates: 40°00′N 116°59′E / 40.000°N 116.983°E / 40.000; 116.983
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
1679 Sanhe-Pinggu earthquake
三河—平谷地震
Langfang Prefecture, Hebei)
Areas affectedChina
Max. intensityX (Extreme)
Casualties45,500 (estimate)

The 1679 Sanhe-Pinggu earthquake (

Qing China on the morning of September 2, 1679.[1] It is the largest recorded surface rupture event to have occurred in the North China Plain. The epicenter was located approximately 50 km (31 mi) east of the Imperial Palace
in Beijing.

Earthquake

The earthquake struck sometime between 9am and 11am on Saturday, September 2, 1679, and had its epicenter in

strike-slip earthquake was located at a depth of 19 km (12 mi) and was the largest known earthquake to have occurred in the North China Plain.[3]

Impact

The 1679 earthquake was most devastating for the towns of

intensity is estimated to have reached X (extreme) while in Beijing the intensity reached VIII (severe).[2] Sanhe was virtually destroyed while in Pinggu only between 30 and 40% households survived.[4] Many buildings and structures in Beijing were also damaged or destroyed. The Qing dynasty White Pagoda in Beihai Park and Desheng Gate were both destroyed. The Kangxi Emperor survived the quake, but many officials and citizens in Beijing were killed.[2] While the total number of fatalities is unknown, it is estimated that upwards of 45,500 were killed by the quake.[1][2]

The earthquake was felt as far west as

Future threat

While the Xiadian Fault is still active and poses a potential threat to the Greater Beijing region, earthquakes of this magnitude are predicted to occur only every 6,500 years along the slow moving fault.

RMB (c. $57 billion).[2]

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ a b c d e f Grossi, Patricia. "The 1679 Sanhe-Pinggu Earthquake: Implications for the Modern-day Beijing Region" (PDF). Risk Management Solutions, Inc. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  3. ^ .
  4. ^ a b "Ruins of the Sanhe-Pinggu Earthquake (1679)". Science Museums of China. Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 August 2017.

Further reading

  • Wang, Z.; Li, Y.; Wang, W.; Zhang, W.; Zhang, Z. (2022). "Revisiting Paleoearthquakes with Numerical Modeling: A Case Study of the 1679 Sanhe–Pinggu Earthquake". Seismological Research Letters. 94 (2A): 720–730.
    S2CID 253472708
    .