A Short Step To An Earthquake

摘要

The Longmen Shan mountain range, which defines the eastern margin of the Himalayas, exhibits greater topographic relief than anywhere else in the Tibetan plateau. It was the site of the devastating 2008 Wenchuan magni-tude-7.9 earthquake. Prior to the earthquake, geodetic and geologic surveys measured little shortening across the range front, prompting vigorous debate about the forces producing the topography of this mountain belt.