1941 Zhongpu earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1941 Chungpu earthquake was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake
which occurred on December 17, 1941 and was centred on the town of Chungpu, Taiwan
. It was the fourth-deadliest earthquake of the 20th century in Taiwan, claiming 358 lives.
, which hit in the neighbouring township of Meishan.
, there were 358 people killed as a result of the quake, with a further 733 people injured. 4,520 dwellings were completely destroyed, and 11,086 were partially destroyed. The quake also triggered a landslide on Caoling Mountain which dammed the river and created the temporary Qingshui Lake in the valley below. This lake has formed and drained several times over the last two hundred years in response to earthquakes and typhoons. Damage was sustained to infrastructure, with gas, electricity and transportation networks being seriously disrupted.
ese attack on Pearl Harbor
, false rumours abounded that the earthquake was caused by retaliatory United States
bombing.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
which occurred on December 17, 1941 and was centred on the town of Chungpu, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. It was the fourth-deadliest earthquake of the 20th century in Taiwan, claiming 358 lives.
Technical data
The earthquake struck at 03:19 local time on December 17, 1941. At a magnitude of 7.1 and with a focal depth of 12 kilometres (7 mi), the quake was felt throughout the island. The epicentre was in Chungpu Township, Jiayi County, just southeast of Jiayi City, and was close to the location of the 1906 Meishan earthquake1906 Meishan earthquake
The 1906 Meishan earthquake was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake which occurred on March 17, 1906 and was centred on Meishan, Chiayi, Jiayi County, Taiwan...
, which hit in the neighbouring township of Meishan.
Damage
According to Taiwan's Central Weather BureauCentral Weather Bureau
The Central Weather Bureau is the government meteorological research and forecasting institution of the Republic of China . In addition to meteorology, the Central Weather Bureau also makes astronomical observations, reports on sea conditions, and conducts research into seismology and provides...
, there were 358 people killed as a result of the quake, with a further 733 people injured. 4,520 dwellings were completely destroyed, and 11,086 were partially destroyed. The quake also triggered a landslide on Caoling Mountain which dammed the river and created the temporary Qingshui Lake in the valley below. This lake has formed and drained several times over the last two hundred years in response to earthquakes and typhoons. Damage was sustained to infrastructure, with gas, electricity and transportation networks being seriously disrupted.
Reaction
Taiwan was a Japanese colony at the time of the earthquake. Coming as it did just ten days after the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, false rumours abounded that the earthquake was caused by retaliatory United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bombing.