Landslide Photo Collections

Searchable USGS Photo and Multimedia Archive with Ordering Information

***(NOTE: This photo site has 2 pages) - The May 12, 2008, Great Sichuan Earthquake, also called the Wenchuan Earthquake occurred at 14:28 local time, in Sichuan Province, China. The earthquake magnitudes were USGS Mw = 7.9, Ms=8.0 (Chinese Earthquake Administration). The epicenter (30.986 degrees N, `03.364 degrees East, was 80 km west-northwest of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, at a hypocenter dept of 19 km. Statistics list 80,000 + confirmed dead, 374,176 injured, and 18, 3440 listed as missing and presumed dead. Damage by Earthquake-induced landslides was catastrophic and accounted for many of the casualties. At least 256 landslide dams were formed by the landslides blocking rivers, 34 of which were deemed highly dangerous by the Chinese Government. The backed up water behind the landslide dams also resulted in many instances of flooding.

  • IMPORTANT: The source for this photo is linked at this site: http://daveslandslideblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/sichuan-earthquake-landslide-images.html - as such, the photo may be copyrighted - The other photos this USGS site are primarily public domain and are so noted where they are not. For more information, please contact Lynn Highland, USGS, highland@usgs.gov
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  • Photo of the town of Qushan, Beichuan County, China, destroyed by strong shaking and catastrophic landslides caused by the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan, China earthquake (also called the Sichuan Earthquake). This photo was taken around October 18, 2008, after deadly debris flows had recently impacted the area (Photo by Dave Wald, U.S. Geological Survey). For a photo of Qushan Town BEFORE the earthquake hit, please see photo "beforeeqbeichuan.jpg"
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  • Rockslide on Road into Beichuan, China. Photo was taken around October 21, 2008 (Photo by Dave Wald, U.S. Geological Survey).
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  • Photo of a large rock dislodged by earthquake shaking, due to the 2008, May 12 Sichuan/Wenchuan Earthquake. The rock fell near the epicentral area (Photo by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey).
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  • Photo of temporary housing (located near the epicentral area) put up by the Chinese government, for those who lost their homes due to the May 20, Sichuan/Wenchuan Earthquake. The houses will be up for at least 3 years, at which time the plan is for the government to build more substantial housing for earthquake victims (Photo taken July 6, 2008, by Lynn Highland).
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  • The Donghekou landslide caused by the May 12, 2008 Sichuan/Wenchuan earthquake, China. This landslide buried at least 300 people who could not be rescued. It dammed the Donghekou River, causing a landslide lake to form behind the dam. The Chinese army and volunteers created a pathway, and also an artificial spillway through the landslide to relieve the backup of water from the flowing river, behind the landslide dam, and to allow the river to continue flowing through the landslide. The landslide came down so rapidly that it created two areas of air-blasts. Note landslide headscarp (source area) in the far distance, in the right side of the photo (Photo taken July 7, 2008 by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey).
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  • Photo of the Shibangou landslide a couple of miles northwest of the Donghekou landslide. This landslide also dammed a river and had to be blasted with dynamite to clear a pathway for the river, and to prevent catastrophic flooding which could possibly occur if the backed-up water overflowed the dam, or the dam failed suddenly (Photo taken on July 6, 2008, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey).
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  • The Shibangou landslide - The Chinese army loaded dynamite for blasting a path through the landslide dam (Photo taken July 6, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey)
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  • Photo a large earthquake-induced landslide which occurred in the area around Beichuan, the hardest-hit city from the May 12, 2008 Sichuan/Wenchuan earthquake, China.
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  • The Xiaojiaqiao Landslide caused by the Sichuan/Wenchuan earthquake, China, of May 12, 2008 (Photo taken July 6, 2008, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey)
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  • The Xiaojiaqiao landslide Lake - an artificial spillway was blasted and dug through the landslide dam to allow the river to resume its flow, after being dammed by the landslide. The dead tree-line marks the elevation of the maximum level of the water, which was building up behind the dam, before the spillway was dug (Photo taken July 6, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey)
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  • The Hongsong Hydro-Power Station landslide - the landslide killed 6 employees of the plant, and blocked the railroad. A road was so damaged by landslides, a new one was constructed over the landslide debris (Photo taken on July 7, 2008 by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey)
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  • The Hongson Hydro-Power plant landslide site - the road in the photo had to be reconstructed on top of the landslide. (Photo taken July 7, 2008 by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geolgocial Survey).
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  • The Hongyan Resort landslide - the landslides occurred in a valley that had experienced an older landslide - the old landslide was reactivated and new failures also occurred in the same area. The village is a popular resort destination, near Chengdu, China. 51 people were killed in this landslide (Photo July, 2008, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey).
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  • Photo of a debris flow which occurred after the earthquake-induced Hongyan Village landslide - (Photo taken July, 2008, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey).
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  • Photo looking downriver towards deposits from the Hongyan Resort landslides, in which 51 people were killed - a debris flow occurred after the landslide, in the same river valley (Photo taken in July, 2008, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey).
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  • Building damage and landslides in the epicentral area, shown together with temporary housing for earthquake victioms (Photo taken in July, 2008, by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey)
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  • Another view of the large Boulder dislodged during the 2008 earthquake, near the epiecentral area. The Chinese word on the rock translates as "Protection" in English. (Photo by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey, taken in July, 2008)..
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  • This elevated highway which is the main entrance into the Beichuan area was damaged during earthquake shaking, and later blasted down by the Chinese Army. A temporary highway was being put in place at the time of the photo (July, 2008). Photo by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey. (Note: see photo 16 for a photo of the highway damaged by the earthquake shaking, but not yet blasted down by the Chinese Army).
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  • Photo of the elevated highway which the Chinese Army blasted down, as it was damaged beyond repair. The road was the main road into the Beichuan area. (Photo taken in July, 2008 by Lynn Highland, U.S. Geological Survey) (Note: please see photo 16 for a photo of the elevated highway when it was damaged by earthquake shaking, and not yet blasted down by the Chinese Army).
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