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.
PHOTO: CNA
“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.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS