The reporter learned from the China Earthquake Administration that after the Sichuan Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, the China Earthquake Networks Center used real-time observational data from the national seismic network to report a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. Subsequently, according to international practice, earthquake experts used more station data, including from the Global Seismic Network, to conduct detailed measurements of the earthquake parameters, and accordingly revised the magnitude to 8.0 on the Richter scale.
According to preliminary investigation and statistics, the maximum intensity of this earthquake reached degree XI, with the area of particularly severe destruction exceeding 100,000 square kilometers. The most severely affected areas were Beichuan, Shifang, Mianzhu, Wenchuan, and Pengzhou in Sichuan Province. The disaster areas involved Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, and other places.