The Geographical study about:

1. The Geographical study about: China

2. The Most Deadly Earthquakes in China Are: • May 12, 2008: A 8.0-magnitude quake strikes the southwestern province of Sichuan, leaving nearly 87,000 dead or missing. Another 4.45 million are injured in the worst quake disaster to hit China in more than three decades, that was a terrifying day for the Chinese because of how many souls were lost. I can only imagine that it was a hard recovery for the people who survived. • July 28, 1976: The industrial city of Tangshan, 125 miles east of Beijing, is leveled by an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale (8.2 according to sources outside China). Beijing puts the official death toll at 242,000, with 164,000 seriously injured. However, Western sources say the toll could be much higher. That was by far the most petrifying day for families and friends of victims the were involved in this earthquake • December 16, 1920: 230,000 perish in an earthquake measuring 8.5 in Gansu, for this day I doubt that anyone can forget that earthquake. • December 26, 1932: An earthquake measuring 7.6 leaves 70,000 dead, in the northwestern province of Gansu. A very sad day for the Chinese.

3. The earthquakes not as bad as the others but still bad are: • February 4, 1975: A quake measuring 7.3 in the northeastern province of Liaoning claims 1,300 live, this was a another unlucky day for the Chinese. • May 11, 1974: 10,000 die in Sichuan and Yunnan after an earthquake of 7.1 magnitude. A lot of deaths that led to sadness again. • January 5, 1970: 15,621 are killed after an earthquake measuring 7.8 in Yunnan. Another day of sorrow because of how many deaths are there. • May 23, 1927: 41,000 people die in Gansu in an earthquake measuring 8.0v,pain was there for years before letting go.

4. Now some week but still emotional earthquakes are: • April 14, 2010: A quake with a magnitude of 6.9 kills at least 400 and injures another 8,000 in the remote north-west province of Qinghai. Was a shocking but devastating time for the Chinese. • July 23, 2006: 22 people are killed and 106 injured as an earthquake measuring 5.1 hits the southwestern province of Yunnan. More than 6,000 homes are destroyed and 38,000 buildings damaged across 13 municipalities. Although the death amount was little, the country used up a lot of money to fix the ruins. • July 21, 2003: An earthquake measuring 6.2 leaves 16 dead and 300 injured in 70 communities in Chuxiong, an autonomous prefecture comprised of the Yi minority, in Yunnan. 300 injured, but not dead, that is a good thing although 16 died. • February 24, 2003: A violent earthquake measuring 6.8 takes 268 lives in the far-western region of Xinjiang and causes significant damage. A lot of lives were taken by the earthquake, that is so sad.

5. The theory of plate tectonics/what causes earthquakes: • “The outer layer of the earth is divided into many sections known as plates, which are floating on the molten magma beneath the earth’s crust. Now the movement of these plates is determined by the convection current in the molten magma. The heat makes these plates rise and vice versa. Therefore after intervals there are plates that get submerged in the molten magma and there plates that rise upwards and at times even new crust is formed from the molten magma which in turn forms a new plate until it connects itself with the already existing ones. At times these plates and can be pushed up to form mountains and hills and the movement is so slow that it is really hard to comprehend that there is any movement at all. The movement and the results come out to be visible suddenly. Now these plates are the bases on which the continents stand and when these plates move the continents also move. Most of the earthquakes occur on the edges of the plates where a plate is under one or across. This movement disrupts the balance and position of all plates, which leads to tremors, which are called earthquakes.”The link below. • Earthquakes are caused due to disturbance in the way the plates move, which again can be caused by a variety of reasons like under crust waves or cracks in the plates • http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-causes-earthquake.html.

6. My understanding of plate tectonics: • The outside layer of the earth is divided into many pieces which are called plates, they float on the molten magma beneath the earth’s crust. The progress of these plates is decided by the convection current in the molten magma. Heat makes these plates go up, so after time there are plates that get flooded in the molten magma, which in revolve forms a new plate until it connects itself with the ones already existing. At times these plates can be pressed up to form mountains and hills. The movement is so slow that it is really hard to understand that there is movement underground. Results suddenly become visible. Continents move when plates move. Earthquakes usually occur on the edges of the plates. If two plates crash into each other it forms earthquakes

7. Why is China so vulnarable to earthquakes? • China is so vulnerable to earthquakes because it is considered to have unstable ground.( I inferred that because Japan is a very close country to China and Japan has seaquakes, an earthquake that is happening in the sea).Title:"Earthquakes & Volcanoes" Author: Maureen Sprugeon. Page 14

8. Some More Earthquakes in China: • January 10, 1998: 47 are killed and 9,000 injured in a quake measuring 6.2 that shakes Shangyi and Zhangbei in the northern province of Hebei. Another horrifying incident. • February 3, 1996: 228 perish and 3,700 are seriously injured in a quake measuring 7.0 near the city of Lijiang, in Yunnan. A lot of injured victims and dead victims. • October 24, 1995: An earthquake measuring 6.5 kills 52 in Yunnan. 6.5 is not such a big earthquake if comparing. • April 26, 1990: 126 killed after an earthquake measuring 6.9 in Qinghai. It was not the earthquake that killed the victims it was after the earthquake. • August 23, 1985: 67 die in an earthquake measuring 7.4 in Xinjiang. For an earthquake that strong the death amount is little.

9. A picture or two:

10. Sources: • Title:"Earthquakes & Volcanoes" Author: Maureen Sprugeon. Page 14 • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7589265/China-earthquakes-timeline-of-deadly-disasters.html • http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-causes-earthquake.html. • http://www.listown.com/images/group/201004/YuShu-earthquake-20100414095627.jpg • http://english.china.com/zh_cn/news/china/11020307/20080513/images/14838770_20080513143236691900.jpg • I hope you enjoyed the presentation!!