Most of you have probably heard by now about yesterday’s large earthquake registering 7.9 on the Richter Scale in China’s Sichuan province. As casualty reports continue to mount, several organizations have released maps of the affected areas. The map above is a “shake map” showing the percieved shaking and potential damage throughout the area of the epicenter. The star indicates the epicenter of the earthquake. The scale at the bottom of the map also shows the percieved rate of movement of the ground during the earthquake. The red area around the epicenter experienced ground moving at over than 3.8 feet per second.
This map is part of a series available from the U.S. Geological Survey, including population exposure and historical seismicity. The New York Times has also released an interactive map of the affected area, overlaying photographs, population figures, potential damage, and a couple of the most major incidents. CNN has also released this more limited interactive map, overlaying a few significant events and statistics over a broader map of China.
Coming on the heels of Cyclone Nargis in Burma, this is a second major tragedy for Asia in less than two weeks.
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