Mother Nature – and she can be a real mean mommy at times – sometimes acts up in extremely violent ways. When that happens, the consequences can be not only catastrophic for all immediately impacted, but also consequential for future generations. Below are nineteen things about some of history’s most catastrophic and consequential floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
19. China’s Heartland Has Always Been Vulnerable to Earthquakes
The cradle of China’s civilization is located in its Loess Plateau. The region is exceptionally vulnerable to earthquake damage because loess soil – rich windblown silt that settled over the millennia to depths of up to 300 feet – readily disintegrates when subjected to seismic activity. Between that vulnerability and China’s high population density throughout history, China, particularly its Loess region, has experienced many of the world’s most devastating earthquakes. On the morning of January 23rd, 1556, Ming Dynasty China was rocked by the deadliest earthquake in human history. It registered around 7.9 on the Richter scale, and was centered in the Wei river basin in the Jiajing region, or modern Shaanxi.
