China has the longest historical record of earthquakes of any country, extending back more than 2,000 years, with the earliest known record found carved into bamboo in the Shandong Province in 1831 BC.

Although the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake is not the greatest magnitude earthquake on record in China, it is the most deadly. The magnitude (M) 8 event killed an estimated 830,000 people and destroyed an area 520 miles wide. The M7.5 Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976, the deadliest earthquake to occur in modern times, killed approximately 242,400 people. Intense ground shaking caused many buildings to collapse and caused extensive damage to the industrial city and its surroundings.

In 2007, RMS conducted an event reconstruction of the M8 1679 Sanhe-Pinggu Earthquake to study the modern-day implications of a similar event occurring in the Beijing region. Ground shaking estimates of the event, which struck approximately 31 miles (50 kilometers) east of Beijing,  indicate a maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) of greater than X at the epicenter in the Hebei Province, and an MMI of VIII in Beijing. Estimated losses from the reconstruction of this event in modern times are approximately US$57 billion, with casualty numbers ranging from 200,000 to 300,000.

The RMS® China Earthquake Model offers the most complete solution for managing earthquake risk to insured portfolios and industrial facilities in China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Model Highlights

	Model developed in partnership with the Institute of Engineering Mechanics (IEM), premier earthquake research institution and part of the government’s China Earthquake Administration
	Stochastic database of earthquake events including over 85,000 simulated earthquakes based on extensive historical records of earthquakes in China
	High-resolution hazard modeling using the RMS variable resolution grid (VRG); includes databases for soil type and liquefaction susceptibility
	RMS third-generation earthquake modeling incorporating spectral response approach to building damage calculations
	Vulnerability functions capture the unique behavior of the Chinese building stock, including regional variations with building inventory data in case of unknown primary characteristics
	Broad suite of secondary modifiers to help refine building damage assessment

Geographic Scope

All of China, including Hong Kong and Macau; Taiwan available in a separate model  

Exposure Data Resolution