Hundreds of thousands of earthquakes occur every year. Fortunately, only one or two are large enough and close enough to major population centers to cause loss of life. During the past 800 years, there have been a handful of earthquakes that have resulted in greater than 50,000 deaths. The earthquake that resulted in the greatest number of deaths was in Shaanxi, China in 1556. It is estimated that 830,000 people lost their lives! What type of plate boundary caused such a devastating earthquake?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Shaanxi earthquake in 1556 occurred in a region where the Indian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate, which is a continental collision boundary.

Hundreds of Thousands of Earthquakes Occur Every Year