A Comprehensive Analysis of the Devastating Wenchuan Earthquake of May 12th 2008

Abstract eng:
The Wenchuan earthquake of May 12th 2008 had a magnitude 8.0 on the Richter scale, focal depth of 14 km according to the Chinese Earthquake Administration (CEA). Maximum intensity XI was assigned in the Wenchuan area according to United States Geological Survey (USGS). The powerful earthquake was felt all across China and in parts of neighboring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Bangladesh and caused the failure of buildings, bridges and infrastructures in general and severe damage to roads and industrial facilities. Severe damage was caused by landslides which blocked rivers and damaged roads and highways. The Wenchuan earthquake is one of the strongest in China since three decades. According to the official reports of the Chinese Bureau of Civil Administration statistics, 69,197 fatalities have been confirmed under the debris of collapsed structures as of July 8th, 18,379 were still missing and 374,176 people have been injured. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the devastating earthquake. The tectonic structure in the Southwest China is examined, the historical data in the last 100 years are reviewed and the aftershocks characteristics are discussed. A brief comparison between 2008 Wenchuan and 1976 Tangshan earthquake is presented followed by a survey of earthquake damages to civil structures in the affected areas. Lessons to be learnt and have been learnt from the event are proposed in this paper.

• Export as: BibTeX | MARC | MARCXML | DC | EndNote | NLM | RefWorks
• Add to your basket