The Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976: An Anatomy of Disaster

Chen Yong, Kam-ling Tsoi, Chen Feibi, Gao Zhenhuan, Zou Qijia, and Chen Zhangli, State Seismological Bureau, People’s Republic of China, Pergamon Press, 1988, 153 pages “The Great Tangshen Earthquake of 1976: An Anatomy of Disaster” is a general interest book that summarizes the damage that resulted from and the government and societal responses to the 1976 Tangshan, PRC, earthquake. At MS ≈ 7.8, the Tangshan earthquake was not as large as either the 1964 Alaska or 1960 Chile earthquakes, yet the loss of life and destruction of property exceeded both. The authors attribute the “unprecedented intensity of its (the earthquake) destructive effects” to the proximity of the mainshock to a densely populated industrial city, the time of day of the mainshock, and the site geology. All of these points are explored in this easy to read, 4-chapter volume. As the authors note, most of the data and descriptions published about the Tangshan earthquake have been published in Chinese or in highly technical scientific literature. This volume is a fine attempt to convey knowledge about the Tangshan earthquake and its aftereffects to readers worldwide. The authors have designed this book so that each chapter may be read as an independent unit. Chapter 1, Damage of the Tangshan Earthquake, describes the earthquake damage to buildings and lifelines (railroads, water supplies, and sewage, etc.) in the Tangshan region. The text is amply supported by photographs of structural damage and a few diagrams of faulting and isoseismals. The photographs are clear and well chosen to illustrate the types and degrees of structural damage described in the text. And the damage was extensive; the meizoseismal zone (MMI≈XI) covered 47 km2 . Nearly . . .