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Mass Wasting

The Haiyuan Earthquake’s epicenter was in the Haiyuan District of the Gansu Province in China. Tremors began in December 1920, but aftershocks were felt for month’s afterwards. The US Geological Survey measured the intensity of the initial earthquake as a 7.8 on the Richter scale. This powerful earthquake triggered an estimated 675 debris avalanche type granular flows in the regions loose soil. Loss of human life was tallied between 234,117 and 314,092 people. Property damage was estimated to be roughly twenty million dollars, or $244,786,000 when adjusted for inflation. An additional economic toll was the loss of an estimated 1.7 million head of livestock throughout the region. Such a widespread loss of life was due predominantly to residents of the areas building dwelling out of the fine soil particles or the use of cave dwellings, so much loss of life could have been avoided if more stable infrastructure was implemented.

Haiyuan earthquake, 1920