The 1626 Lingqiu earthquake had an epicentre in Lingqiu County, Shanxi Province during the Ming dynasty. The estimated surface wave magnitude (Ms ) 7.0 earthquake caused many buildings to collapse. Over 5,200 people were killed.
Tectonic setting
The Shanxi Rift System is a seismically active intra-continental rift zone in North China. Since 231 BC, eight Ms 7.0 earthquakes have occurred along the rift system. The 1303 Hongdong, 1556 Shanxi, and 1695 Linfen earthquakes were the deadliest associated with the rift, with death tolls of 50,000 to 830,000 respectively.[3]
Dip-slip and strike-slip earthquakes in North China are consistent with ongoing crustal extension along the Shanxi Rift System. The rift extends for 1,200 km, and is up to 60 km wide. The graben is bounded by normal faults on both sides capable of generating earthquakes. Extension along the rift zone occur at a slow rate of 0.8 ± 0.3 mm/year, therefore earthquakes occur with long intervals of recurrence. The estimated magnitudes of earthquakes by Chinese researchers previously have possible inaccuracies as they are based on written descriptions and death toll from the earthquakes.[5]
Earthquake
The earthquake rupture involved two conjugated faults; the Shuijian–Luoshuihe Fault, and the Huashanhe Fault. The Shuijian–Luoshuihe Fault is located west of Lingqiu County, where is strikes in a north-northeast direction. A one-meter-high fault scarp is visible on the surface, corresponding to the 1626 earthquake. Both faults have shallow dipping angles in the east and west direction, and have a normal slip sense.[6] It has an estimated magnitude of Ms 7.0 and China seismic intensity scale rating of IX (Destructive).[7]
At Lingqiu, many homes belonging to officials and civillains were destroyed. Liquefaction events occurred; black water erupted from dry wells. More than 5,200 people died in the county. About 80–90% of government offices, homes, and warehouses collapsed in Hunyuan County. Much of the city walls fell. Additional buildings and structures were left in ruins at Yuxian, and Laiyuan. It was felt in the provinces of Shandong, Hebei, and Henan. The shaking was also felt in Beijing.[2][9]
^Shen Xuhui; Wangyi Peng (1995). "1626年灵丘地震烈度分布特征与阻震构造初步讨论" [Preliminary Discussion on Intensity Distribution Characteristics and Seismic Resistance Structure of Lingqiu Earthquake in 1626] (PDF). North China Earthquake Science. 13 (1).
^Ma Xingquan; Li Yanbao; Ran Yongkang; Chen Lichun (2013). "灵丘盆地主要活动断裂和1626灵丘地震发震构造" [Major active faults in Lingqiu Basin and the seismogenic structure of the earthquake in 1626]. 地震地质 (in Chinese). doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4967.2013.02.002. Retrieved 2 December 2021.