how long did the 1976 tangshan earthquake last

How many people died in the Tangshan earthquake of 1976?

Strong aftertremors continued for days. The quake leveled almost every building and flooded the mines. Some 242,000 people were officially reported as having been killed, though the death toll may have been higher. …occurred in China during the Tangshan earthquake of 1976.

What was the intensity of the Tangshan earthquake?

The maximum intensity of the earthquake was XI ( Extreme) on the Mercalli scale. In minutes, eighty-five percent of the buildings in Tangshan collapsed or were unusable, all services failed, and most of the highway and railway bridges collapsed or were seriously damaged.

Did the Tangshan earthquake contribute to the downfall of the Cultural Revolution?

In August 1976, Chinese leader Mao Zedong (1893–1976) was dying and his Cultural Revolution was eroding in power. Some scholars believe that the Tangshan earthquake contributed to its downfall.

How deadly was the Tangshan disaster compared to other disasters?

Depending on what basis is used, the Tangshan disaster can thus be considered as approximately one-third, one-half, or twice as deadly as the Shaanxi disaster. The other five deadliest earthquake disasters known in history, with magnitudes ranging from 7.0 to 9.1, have had death tolls just under that of Tangshan's:

How long did the China 1976 earthquake last?

approximately 14 to 16 secondsThe entire earthquake lasted approximately 14 to 16 seconds.

How long did it take for Tangshan to recover?

The earthquake recovery in Tangshan officially came to an end when the permanent housing recovery was completed in October 1986. This process took a little more than ten years, twice as long as the original five-year target set forth in the 1976 recovery plan.

What happened after the 1976 Tangshan earthquake?

Most of the houses and buildings were destroyed; there was no electric power, no running water, no functioning sewers, no gas, no telephone communication, no functioning city government, no highway traffic or railway traffic into the city.

How long does the shaking last during the Tangshan earthquake?

In the city of Tangshan the intensity reached X (extreme). The shaking, which lasted 14 to 16 seconds, transformed much of the region's exceptionally deep sandy soil into a fluidlike mass (liquefaction).

When did the Tangshan Earthquake end?

The 1976 Tangshan earthquake (Chinese: 唐山大地震; pinyin: Tángshān dà dìzhèn; lit. 'Great Tangshan earthquake') was a Mw 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan, Hebei, China, at 3:42 a.m. on 28 July 1976.

What causes the earth to shake?

The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust and cause the shaking that we feel.

When was the biggest earthquake in China?

The most powerful Sichuan earthquake on record was in May 2008, when a magnitude 8.0 quake centred in Wenchuan killed almost 70,000 people and caused extensive damage.

Was the Tangshan earthquake predicted?

The Tangshan earthquake of July 28, 1976 was not predicted by a short-term or imminent prediction which resulted in enormous loss of life and property damage occurred. However, a mid-term prediction had been issued.

How did the government respond to the Tangshan earthquake?

Central government reacted fast to the situation in Tangshan and began to dispatch rescue teams, equipment and relief aid to the region quickly. The People's Liberation Army had military exercises going on in the region and shifted quickly to rescue and relief work.

How much damage did the Tangshan earthquake cause?

It lasted for 23 seconds and leveled 90 percent of Tangshan's buildings. At least a quarter-of-a-million people were killed and 160,000 others injured. The earthquake came during the heat of midsummer, and many stunned survivors crawled out of their ruined houses naked, covered only in dust and blood.

How much did the damage cost of the Tangshan earthquake?

The Tangshan earthquake in 1976 resulted in around US$10 billion in direct losses, and over 242,000 deaths, and the post-disaster economic recovery took at least 11 years”.

What happened to Tangshan?

On June 10, 2022, a group of men assaulted four women at a barbecue restaurant in Lubei District, Tangshan.

What year was the Tangshan earthquake?

242,419. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake ( Chinese: 唐山大地震; pinyin: Tángshān dà dìzhèn; lit. 'Great Tangshan earthquake'), also known as the Great Tangshan earthquake, was a natural disaster resulting from a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan, Hebei, People's Republic of China on 28 July 1976, at 3:42 in the morning.

Where did the Tangshan earthquake occur?

Tangshan earthquake site. The rupture occurred under the southern part of the city, and propagated northeastward on a fault that runs through the middle of the city. The maximum intensity was "XI" (eleven) on the 12-degree Chinese scale.

What is the name of the railway that runs from Tianjin to Tanggu?

The Beijing–Shanhaiguan Railway (built in 1887) is a double-track Class I trunk line that runs from Beijing southeast to Tianjin and Tanggu, then turns northeast to cross the Yongdingxin River and its estuary to run to Ninghe and then Tangshan. From Tangshan it continues northeast and then east to Chengli, and then to Qinhuangdao and Shanhaiguan. This is the principal connection of Beijing, Tianjin, and Tangshan to the seaports, and to Northeast China. The Tongxian to Tuozitou (within modern-day Luan County) Railway (built in 1976) is a single-track Class I trunk line that runs east from the eastern outskirts of Beijing to where it meets the Beijing to Shanhaiguan line northeast of Tangshan (near the epicenter of the M 7.1 quake). All of this was built "with no consideration for earthquake resistant design", although some "earthquake resistance measures" for large and medium bridges were applied following the 1975 Haicheng earthquake .

How did the earthquake affect the railways?

These vital arteries (and other railways and branch lines) were seriously damaged by the earthquakes, mainly in the areas of intensity IX or greater shaking. (This includes a large area around Tangshan quake, and areas around Ninghe and Luanhsien following the M 6.9 and M 7.4 aftershocks.) At the time of the main quake there were 28 freight trains and seven passenger trains traveling on the Beijing–Shanhaiguan line in the affected area; seven freight trains and two passenger trains derailed due to derangement of the rails, mostly south of Tangshan where the line was built on loose alluvium, diluvium, and occasional stretches of loose sand. In many of these cases – and also similar cases northeast of Tangshan, and on the Tongxian–Tuozitou line east of Fengrun – the railway embankment slumped due to weak soils. In other cases the embankment held, but transverse compression of the rails caused them to buckle.

What was the maximum intensity of the Tangshan earthquake?

The maximum intensity of the earthquake was XI ( Extreme) on the Mercali scale. In minutes, eighty-five percent of the buildings in Tangshan collapsed or were unusable, all services failed, and most of the highway and railway bridges collapsed or were seriously damaged.

How did the 1975 earthquake affect China?

The 1975 Haicheng earthquake (about 400 km [250 miles] northeast of Tangshan) was widely hailed as the first (and, by mainstream seismologists, the only) successful prediction of a major earthquake, demonstrating both that earthquakes could be predicted, and that the Chinese were successfully doing so. The surprisingly light death toll – initial reports were of "very few people killed", but later determined to be a modest 2,041 —for this magnitude Ms 7.5 quake, attributed to the precautionary measures taken following a definite short-term prediction, was proclaimed as a demonstration of the superiority of China's socialist system, and incidentally a validation of the Chinese methodologies. However, it was later determined that the most important factor in anticipating the Haicheng earthquake was the extended series of significant foreshocks ("powerful messages from nature" ), and the low casualty rate was due largely to the time of day, hitting in the early evening when most people were neither at work nor asleep.

What are the factors that affect earthquakes?

First, the intensity of shaking, which depends mainly on the magnitude of the earthquake rupture, the distance from the epicenter, and the nature of the local soil and topography, with soft soils (e.g., sediments and fill) more likely to amplify the intensity and duration of the shaking. Second, the design and construction of the structures being shaken, with house s built of adobe or stone, wooden houses without a well-built frame, and unreinforced masonry construction being especially vulnerable. The seismic risk had been greatly underestimated and almost all buildings and structures were designed and built without seismic considerations. As a result, Tangshan was "mainly a city of unreinforced brick buildings ", sitting right on top of a major fault line.

What was the intensity level of the 1976 earthquake in Tangshan?

The 7.8 earthquake that hit Tangshan was given an intensity level of XI (out of XII).

How long did the Tangshan earthquake last?

When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Tangshan, more than 1 million people were sleeping, unaware of the impending disaster. As the earth began to shake, a few people who were awake had the forethought to dive under a table or other heavy piece of furniture, but most were asleep and did not have time. The entire earthquake lasted approximately 14 to 16 seconds.

What was the biggest earthquake in 1976?

Jennifer Rosenberg. Updated September 25, 2019. At 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the sleeping city of Tangshan, in northeastern China. The very large earthquake, striking an area where it was totally unexpected, obliterated the city of Tangshan and killed more than 240,000 people—making it the deadliest earthquake ...

Why is Tangshan called the brave city of China?

In the succeeding decades, the experiences of Tangshan have been used to improve earthquake predicting capabilities and the provision of medical support in major disasters.

What year was the Tangshan earthquake?

Yong, Chen, et al. The Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976: An Anatomy of Disaster. New York: Pergamon Press, 1988.

How many people were saved from the rubble?

Though 80% of the people trapped under rubble were saved, a 7.1 magnitude aftershock that hit on the afternoon of July 28 sealed the fate for many who had been waiting under the rubble for help.

What caused the collapse of the bridges?

The foundations of bridges gave way, causing the bridges to collapse. Railroad lines bent. Roads were covered with debris and were riddled with fissures.

Overview

Damage

The earthquakes

Death toll

Political aspects

Geology

Question of prediction

Comparison

Fireballs and Animals Give Warning

The Earthquake Strikes

• When the 7.8 magnitude earthquakestruck Tangshan, more than 1 million people were sleeping, unaware of the impending disaster. As the earth began to shake, a few people who were awake had the forethought to dive under a table or other heavy piece of furniture, but most were asleep and did not have time. The entire earthquake lasted approximately 14...

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Aftermath

Damage and Recovery

Political Perspective

Rebuild and Recent Research

Sources and Further Reading