View source for 1996 Lijiang earthquake

{{Short description|Natural disaster in Yunnan, China}}
{{Infobox earthquake
| title = 1996 Lijiang earthquake
| timestamp = 1996-02-03 11:14:22
| isc-event = 945500
| anss-url = iscgem945500
| local-date = {{Start date|1996|02|03}}
| local-time = 19:14:22 CST
| map2 = {{Location map | China Yunnan
 | label=
 | lat=27.291
 | long=100.276
 | mark=Bullseye1.png
 | marksize=40
 | position=top
 | width= 250
 | float=right
 | caption=}}
| magnitude = 6.6 {{M|w|link=y}}<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| depth = {{convert|11|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| location = {{coord|27.30|100.29|display=inline, title}}<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| countries affected = [[China]], [[Lijiang City]], [[Yunnan]]
| intensity = {{MMI|10}}<ref name=EXPO-CAT/>
| aftershocks = 
| casualties = 309–322 killed<ref name=PAGER-CAT/> <br> 16,925–17,057 injured<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
}}
The '''1996 Lijiang earthquake''' occurred at 19:14 on 3 February near [[Lijiang City]], [[Yunnan]] in southwestern [[China]]. The shock measured 6.6 on the [[moment magnitude scale]] and had a maximum [[Mercalli intensity scale|Mercalli intensity]] of X (''Extreme'').

==Earthquake==
According to authorities, up to 322 people died and more than 17,000 were injured.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Significant Earthquake|url = https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/results?eq_0=5430&t=101650&s=13&d=22,26,13,12&nd=display|publisher = National Geophysical Data Center|access-date = 2015-11-29}}</ref> About 358,000 buildings were destroyed, and 320,000 people were made homeless.<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>

===Damage===
The earthquake destroyed many structures and buildings in the region; property damage was estimated at 506 million US dollars.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to damage to structures, it triggered more than 200 [[landslide]]s in a 12,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> area. Many further landslides occurred in the months afterwards, as [[monsoon]] rains swept away debris already loosened, and as late as 1999, scientists warned that widespread ground fracturing throughout much of the area might lead to further landsliding in the event of heavy rain.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Transactions of the Japanese Geomorphological Union|title=Inventory of Landslides Triggered by the 1996 Lijiang Earthquake, Yunnan Province, China|last=Tang|first=C.|author2=J. Grunert|volume=20|issue=3|pages=335–49|year=1999|url=http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/199916/000019991699A0562268.php|issn=0389-1755|access-date=2007-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206092606/http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/199916/000019991699A0562268.php|archive-date=2012-02-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Aftershocks===
One hundred and eighty-four aftershocks occurred in the first 26 hours, including 18 which measured between 4.0 and 4.8 on the Richter scale.<ref>{{cite news|work=The New York Times|title=China Appeals for Aid After Earthquake Kills 200|last=Tyler|first=Patrick E.|date=1996-02-05|access-date=2007-12-01|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02E5DC1439F936A35751C0A960958260}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
Many high-rise buildings in the area were torn down and traditional single-family dwellings were constructed in their place. Reconstruction assistance from the provincial government and the [[World Bank]] was used to restore traditional streets, bridges, and canals. These efforts played a major role in Lijiang's efforts to achieve the [[World Heritage Site]] designation by [[UNESCO]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ebbe|first=Katrinka|url=http://www.worldbank.org/ieg/naturaldisasters/china_earthquake.html|publisher=The World Bank|title=Lijiang, China – Earthquake Reconstruction and Heritage Conservation|access-date=2007-12-01}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of earthquakes in China]]
*[[List of earthquakes in Yunnan]]

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=EXPO-CAT>{{citation|title=EXPO-CAT Earthquake Catalog|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/enwiki/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/|date=December 1, 2008|publisher=United States Geological Survey|series=Version 2007-12}}</ref>
<ref name=PAGER-CAT>{{citation|title=PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/enwiki/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/|date=September 4, 2009|publisher=United States Geological Survey|series=Version 2008_06.1}}</ref> 
}}

==Further reading==
*{{citation|title=The 28 October 1996 landslide and analysis of the stability of the current Huashiban slope at the Liangjiaren Hydropower Station, Southwest China|journal=Engineering Geology|volume=114|issue=1–2|pages=45–56|year=2010|last1=Zhou|first1=Jia-Wen|last2=Xu|first2=Wei-Ya|last3=Yang|first3=Xing-Guo|last4=Shi|first4=Chong|last5=Yang|first5=Zhao-Hui|doi=10.1016/j.enggeo.2010.04.001|bibcode=2010EngGe.114...45Z }}

==External links==
*{{EQ-isc-link|945500}}

{{Earthquakes in 1996}}
{{Earthquakes in China}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lijiang Earthquake}}
[[Category:Earthquakes in Yunnan|1996 Lijiang]]
[[Category:1996 disasters in China]]
[[Category:1996 earthquakes]]
[[Category:Landslides in China|Lijiang earthquake 1996]]
[[Category:Landslides in 1996|Lijiang earthquake]]
[[Category:Geography of Lijiang]]
[[Category:February 1996 events in China]]