The recent magnitude-7.3 earthquake in Hualien has been described as the most devastating to strike China's Taiwan region in 25 years.
Gao Mengtan, a researcher at the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration, explained to CGTN that the earthquake is closely linked to the region's unique geographical conditions.
\"The entire Taiwan region is located at the junction of the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate, with the Philippine Plate subducting under the Eurasian Plate, causing very intense tectonic movements and frequently triggering strong earthquakes,\" Gao told CGTN. \"Statistical data from the past few decades shows that, on average, there's a strong earthquake of magnitude 7 or above every seven to eight years.\"
\"Whenever such an earthquake occurs, it's crucial to be prepared for the possibility of strong aftershocks. In fact, following today's earthquake, there's already been an aftershock of magnitude-6,\" Gao added, noting that historically, after the 1951 magnitude-7.3 earthquake, there were four aftershocks each registering over magnitude-7.
Gao emphasized the importance of guarding against the impact of follow-up earthquakes. \"The major earthquake has already caused considerable damage to buildings, infrastructure, and mountainsides. If a large earthquake subsequently occurs, the risk of buildings or mountains collapsing, landslides, and rockfalls dramatically increases.\"
He also pointed out that in China's southeast coastal megacities, many tall buildings make the sensation of an earthquake stronger as people are higher up from the ground. This can cause vibrations from a magnitude-7 earthquake to be felt more intensely, even from across the Taiwan Strait.
\"The sedimentary plains' soil layers can amplify seismic waves, and many of the high rises in our southeastern coastal cities are built on these soil layers, resulting in the seismic sensation being doubly amplified,\" Gao explained. \"If the earthquake occurs in a place like Hualien, even if the magnitude is slightly higher, the vibrations felt in our coastal areas might be more intense but not enough to cause serious damage to our buildings and infrastructure.\"
Reference(s):
Intense tectonic movement causes strong tremors in SE China: expert
cgtn.com
