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CWB center records 300 aftershocks

An oarfish, also known as an “earthquake fish,” lies on the ground after it was caught in waters off Hualien County yesterday. Locals say that the increasing appearance of oarfish suggests an earthquake. PHOTO: CNA

Close to 300 aftershocks have been reported in Hualien following a couple of large earthquakes on Sunday, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.

As of 3pm yesterday, 46 of the aftershocks were felt as earthquakes, which were between 3 and 4 on the Richter Scale, the bureau said.

CWB Seismology Center Director Kuo Kai-wen (郭鎧紋) said the phenomenon was called an earthquake sequence.

“The earthquake sequence happened because the large earthquake caused a bigger rupture near the epicenter, which in turn triggered seismic activity nearby and thus a series of aftershocks,” Kuo said.

“All these aftershocks, however, are a normal release of seismic energy,” Kuo said. “Both the frequency and the force of aftershocks have reduced since Sunday.”

Kuo said the earthquake sequence was not a new phenomenon in the nation’s seismic history. He also disagreed with statements that the aftershocks were a sign of a large earthquake to come.

Statistics from the bureau showed that the first earthquake of the series occurred in Hualien at 9:26am on Sunday, with the epicenter located about 15km northeast of the bureau’s observation station in Hsiulin (秀林). It measured 4.4 on the Richter scale and induced a couple of aftershocks.

Another earthquake measuring 5.6 occurred at 5:34pm, which was the second-biggest earthquake this year. After that earthquake, Hualien continued to feel aftershocks at a frequency of two to four every hour.

Seventeen aftershocks occurred between 1am and 2am yesterday, measuring between 3 and 4 on the scale. The biggest aftershock occurred at 1:44pm on Sunday, measuring at 4.9.

In related news, Taroko Gorge National Park announced yesterday that rock falls caused by the earthquakes had affected a number of walking paths in the park.

For the safety of visitors, park authorities decided from today to close the Jhueilu Historic Trail (錐麓古道), Changchun Shrine Trail (長春祠步道), Skadang Trail (砂卡礑步道) and Swallow Grotto Trail (燕子口步道) walking paths for two days.
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