3.4-magnitude earthquake hits Lixian County, Changde City, Hunan

On the morning of March 8th, a 3.4-magnitude earthquake struck Li County, Changde City, Hunan Province.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake occurred at 7:43 am on March 8th in Li County, Changde City (suspected to have collapsed). The epicenter was located at 29.88 degrees north latitude and 111.60 degrees east longitude, with an average altitude of about 126 meters within a 5-kilometer radius of the epicenter.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center’s rapid report catalog, there have been a total of 6 earthquakes with a magnitude of 3 or above within 200 kilometers of the epicenter in the past 5 years. The largest earthquake was a 3.5-magnitude quake that occurred on July 4, 2021 in Dongbao District, Jingmen City, Hubei Province, 150 kilometers away from this recent epicenter.

As the official statement only mentioned the suspected collapse without providing a specific explanation for the earthquake’s cause, some internet users have expressed their thoughts. Some said, “Even without an earthquake-prone zone, earthquakes can still occur.” Without information on the depth of the seismic source, others dared not speculate on the cause. Some netizens speculated, “It should be a collapse in a mining area where there used to be coal mines.” Others believed, “It is a salt area, collapsing due to excessive pumping of salt. Hunan’s salt industry is now a listed company, extracting salt vigorously, especially in a town known for salt mining. The collapse triggered the earthquake.”

This earthquake serves as a reminder of the unpredictable forces of nature and the importance of monitoring and understanding seismic activities in order to better protect communities from potential risks.