2019 Sichuan earthquake
An earthquake measuring 5.8 Mw struck the province of Sichuan in China at 22:55 local time (14:55 UTC), 17 June 2019.[1] Changning and Gong counties in Yibin were particularly affected. 13 people died and more than 200 others were injured.[2]
   Yibin 2019 Sichuan earthquake (Sichuan) | |
| UTC time | 2019-06-17 14:55:45 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 615956027 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | June 17, 2019 |
| Local time | 22:55 |
| Magnitude | 5.8 Mw |
| Depth | 10 km (6 mi) |
| Epicenter | 28.405°N 104.957°E |
| Type | Oblique slip |
| Areas affected | Sichuan, Chongqing |
| Max. intensity | VII (Very strong) |
| Aftershocks | 7 |
| Casualties | 13 dead, >200 injured |
Tectonic setting
Sichuan lies within the zone of complex tectonics caused by the continuing convergence of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. The active faulting in this area relates to the eastward movement of material away from the Tibetan Plateau, which has been uplifted by this collision. The largest structure in the area is the Longmenshan Fault, movement on which was responsible for the M7.9 2008 Sichuan earthquake.[1]
Earthquake
Based on the focal mechanism the earthquake was a result of oblique-slip faulting, dominantly reverse faulting with a component of strike-slip.[1]. According to the latest research [3], the moment tensor of the mainshock was remarkably dominated by a compensated linear vector dipole. Its fine structure showing mainshock was a doublet, allowing approximation by a thrust‐ and strike‐slip subevent. The mainshock nucleated as thrust faulting, which (together with the largest aftershocks) can be linked with previously known reverse faults, favorably oriented to regional stress field.
A number of aftershocks also occurred.[4]
| Magnitude | Location | Time (UTC) | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.8 | 19km S of Changning, China | 2019-06-17 14:55:45 | 10.0 km |
| 5.2 | 15km SSW of Changning, China | 2019-06-17 15:36:02 | 10.0 km |
| 4.7 | 8km SSE of Changning, China | 2019-06-17 16:29:08 | 10.0 km |
| 4.9 | 14km SSE of Changning, China | 2019-06-17 16:37:56 | 10.0 km |
| 4.9 | 12km S of Changning, China | 2019-06-17 21:03:26 | 10.0 km |
| 5.2 | 20km SSE of Changning, China | 2019-06-17 23:34:34 | 10.0 km |
| 5.3[5] | 13km S of Changning, China | 2019-06-22 14:29:55 | 10.0 km |
| 4.9[6] | 7km SSE of Changning, China | 2019-06-23 00:28:18 | 10.0 km |
Damage
More than 20,000 houses were badly damaged and some roads, communication infrastructure and hydroelectric power plants were also reported to be affected.[7]
There were 13 deaths overall, 9 of them in Changning County and the other 5 in Gongxian County.[2] A further 220 people were reported injured, 6 of them critically and 16 severely.[7]
References
- ANSS. "Sichuan 2019 : M 5.8 - 19km S of Changning, China". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 18 June 2019
- China Plus (18 June 2019). "Death toll from Sichuan earthquake rises to 13". Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- Liu, Junqing; Zahradník, Jiří (14 February 2020). "The 2019 MW 5.7 Changning Earthquake, Sichuan Basin, China: A Shallow Doublet With Different Faulting Styles". Geophysical Research Letters. 47 (4). doi:10.1029/2019GL085408.
- "Latest Earthquakes". earthquake.usgs.gov.
- USGS. "M 5.3 - 11km SE of Xunchang, China". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- USGS. "M 4.9 - 11km SSW of Changning, China". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- China Plus (19 June 2019). "Relief efforts underway after China quake kills 13, injures 220". Retrieved 19 June 2019.
External links
The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.