Update: Earthquake in Sichuan Province

Magnitude: Now 7.9, according to the USGS

Epicentre: 31.021°N, 103.367°E

Death Toll: over 12,000

Still missing: over 18,600

Aftershocks: magnitude 4 to magnitude 6

The USGS now states that the quake resulted from "The earthquake reflects tectonic stresses resulting from the convergence of crustal material slowly moving from the high Tibetan Plateau, to the west, against strong crust underlying the Sichuan Basin and southeastern China."

In the Eocene Epoch, India slammed into Asia, which created the Tibetan Plateau over time. So this stress was built up from the west and the east. There is nowhere for China to go when this pressure builds up from both sides. It has no release but for earthquakes.

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electric firefly
Interesting way of phrasing it considering the political parallels with Tibet and China right now.
karlos
I heard someone comment on this at the local shop and they said "god works in mysterious ways" which I think was angled at the whole human rights scene and the tibet issues that are going on regarding China. I stress this is not my comment and I added it because of the lateral thinking going on.
Geology Byotch
I didn't even think of that...but you did! Sometimes I can be such a geek. I need you as my editor! Cheers.
Geology Byotch
I feel for Tibet. I hate what has been going on there. It is so wrong.
Geology Byotch
There is always that aspect to natural disasters, yes...like cutting down mangrove forests that will slow down and absorb some of the energy of a tsunami. Like not building homes and hotels in a flood plain or on a coastline where large storms tend to strike. Like not building a town at the foot of an active volcano. And more.
Geology Byotch
Death toll now over 15,000 and a dam that has been damaged is in dire straits.
karlos
Do you have more detail on the dam. Is this a dam that is going to totally fail and unleash a force likely to cause more destruction to populated areas?
Geology Byotch

Yes, and yes.

http://www.ap.org/

It's in t he list on the right of the page.

karlos
Thanks Geo. I had a quick read and the crux is that Dujiangyan will be swamped if that dam fails and Dujiangyan has already suffered serious damage. The report mentions they have hundreds of people trying to repair the dam but it does not sound positive, nature moves faster than man and dams are incredible structures but hard enough to build and maintain at the best of times. We can only hope they fix it up or evacuate Dujiangyan to save lives.
Geology Byotch
Man vs water: water always wins. You can not stop the force of water. I hope they repair it for the people as well as the animals' sakes; I will update this today (I had to write an article yesterday on something for something else and did not get a chance to really update well).
karlos
Estimates are rising to 50,000 in the press and I just watched some rather disturbing video - deep breath before you watch them people - it's not a joy but it will open eyes that much wider and show just how fragile our planet is
www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2008/may/15/earthquake

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