Mysteries of the Epicenter and Magnitude of China’s Mount Taishan Earthquake Solved

Scientists have solved the long-standing mystery of China's earliest recorded earthquake, the Mount Taishan event from 1831 BCE. By analyzing seismic and geological data from the Anqiu area, approximately 200 km away from Mount Taishan, researchers identified soft-sediment deformation structures in the Holocene Heituhu Formation (Q4H). These structures, including seismic subsidence synclines, pinch-and-swell formations, and co-seismic micro-faults, provided evidence of the earthquake's epicenter and magnitude. This groundbreaking discovery sheds light on one of history's most enigmatic seismic events.

Hongshui, T., Chuan-cheng, Y., Banghua, Z., & Shenhe, Z. (2021). Mysteries of the Epicenter and Magnitude of China’s Mount Taishan Earthquake Solved. SCIREA Journal of Geosciences. https://doi.org/10.54647/geosciences17111