The M8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake occurred in China on May 12, 2008, killing over 69,000 people and displacing millions from their homes. This was one of the most catastrophic natural disasters on record. This book includes 5 chapters describing the tectonic setting and historical earthquakes around the Chuan-Dian region, the nucleation of the Wenchuan earthquake, occurrence and aftershocks. The field observations of earthquake induced surface fractures and building damage, form a major and special part of this book and include a large number of digital photos with accompanying explanantions.
Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences Editors: J. Reitner, Göttingen M. H. Trauth, Potsdam K. Stüwe, Graz D. Yuen, USA Founding Editors: G. M. Friedman, Brooklyn and Troy A. Seilacher, Tübingen and Yale
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Huilin Xing · Xiwei Xu
M8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake
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Dr. Huilin Xing University of Queensland Earth Systems Science Computational Centre (ESSCC) School of Earth Sciences St. Lucia, Queensland 4072 Australia
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Dr. Xiwei Xu China Earthquake Administration Institute of Geology Qijiahuozi, Deshengmenwai Beijing 100029 People’s Republic of China
[email protected]
ISSN 0930-0317 ISBN 978-3-642-01875-6 e-ISBN 978-3-642-01901-2 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-01901-2 Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2010938032 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd., Pondicherry Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
The great Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake of 14:28 May 12, 2008 (called the Wenchuan earthquake hereafter) has shocked the world. It is the largest earthquake in the mainland of China in the past 60 years, causing the most serious damages, the largest stricken areas and the greatest difficulty for disaster relief. As determined by the China Earthquake Network Center, the focal depth of the Wenchuan earthquake is 19 km, and the earthquake occurred on the middle segment of the Longmenshan thrust belt along the southeast margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The event completely destroyed Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County, Qushan Town, Beichuan County and Qingchuan County in Sichuan Province, while the stricken areas involved 48,810 villages and 4,667 towns for 417 counties (cities or districts) in 10 provinces (municipalities or autonomous regions) including Sichuan, Gansu, Shanxi and Chongqing, with a total area of about 500,000 km2 and 46.25 million sufferers. According to the official report up to September 28, 2008, it is known that 69,227 people were killed,