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| Date | December 16, 1920 (Gansu-Sichuan Time) |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 7.8 ML[1] 8.5[2] |
| Epicenter location | 36°30′N 105°42′E / 36.50°N 105.70°E (Haiyuan, Ningxia) |
| Countries or regions affected |  Republic of China |
| Max. intensity | XII (Catastrophic) |
| Casualties | 234,117 (4th deadliest earthquake of all time) |
1920 Haiyuan earthquake (Chinese: 海原大地震; pinyin: Hǎiyuán dà dìzhèn), was an earthquake that occurred on December 16, 1920. The epicenter was 36°30′N 105°42′E / 36.50°N 105.70°E [2], in Haiyuan County, Ningxia Province, Republic of China. It was also called the 1920 Gansu earthquake [1] because Ningxia was a part of Gansu Province when the earthquake occurred.
The earthquake hit at local time 20:06:53 (GMT 12:06:53), reportedly 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale, followed by a series of aftershocks for three years. Today's Chinese media claim the earthquake as of magnitude 8.5, although the scale is not specified. It caused total destruction (XII - the maximum intensity on the Mercalli scale) in the Lijunbu-Haiyuan-Ganyanchi area.
Over 73,000 people were killed in Haiyuan County. A landslide buried the village of Sujiahe in Xiji County. More than 30,000 people were killed in Guyuan County. Nearly all the houses collapsed in the cities of Longde and Huining. Damage (VI-X) occurred in 7 provinces and regions, including the major cities of Lanzhou, Taiyuan, Xi'an, Xining and Yinchuan. It was felt from the Yellow Sea to Qinghai (Tsinghai) Province and from Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia) south to central Sichuan Province.
About 200 km (125 mi) of surface faulting was seen from Lijunbu through Ganyanchi to Jingtai. There were large numbers of landslides and ground cracks throughout the epicentral area. Some rivers were dammed, others changed course. Seiches from this earthquake were observed in 2 lakes and 3 fjords in western Norway.[1]
Total casualty was reported as 200,000 in a summary published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS),[1] and 240,000 according to Ningxia Daily, a Chinese publication in the current administrative area.[2]
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