Though seismologists have proven the existence of a magma chamber under the Datun Volcanic Group (大屯火山群), the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday that the finding does not mean that the volcanoes in the group are active.
The Datun Volcanic Group is located within Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei and it consists of about 20 volcanoes near the north coast of the nation, including Datunshan (大屯山) and Cisingshan (七星山).
Academia Sinica researcher Lam Ching-hung (林正洪), who is also the director of the seismic observation station on Datunshan, published his research at the end of last year in the journal Scientific Reports.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The research showed that there is a magma chamber about 20km beneath the Datun Volcanic Group and that the chamber, a large underground pool of liquid rock, is about one-fourth the size of Taipei.
Media reports of Lam’s research triggered fears of the possibility that one of the Datun Volcanic Group could erupt, particularly because the group is so close to the largest metropolitan area in the nation, as well as two nuclear power plants.
Central Weather Bureau Director-General Shin Tzay-chyn (辛在勤) yesterday said Lam’s studies only prove that there is a magma chamber underneath Taipei, adding that Lam concluded his study by saying that more research is required to understand the characteristics of the magma chamber.
Shin was puzzled that people would think Lam’s research means that the Datun Volcanic Group is active and would erupt, since Lam mentioned none of this in his paper.
“One cannot say that the Datun Volcanic Group contains active volcanoes simply because there is a magma chamber underneath it, because all the volcanoes that have erupted in the past would have had magma chambers underneath them or else they would not have erupted in the first place,” Shin said. “We did not dispute the existence of such a magma chamber, we just did not know where it was. Lam’s research specifically pointed out that the chamber is about 20km under the ground. However, the point is whether the volcanoes would evolve to become active or extinct. Both outcomes are possible.”
Shin said a few years ago scientists pointed to some evidence that showed that the Datun Volcanic Group had erupted 5,000 years ago, although the theory was not accepted by all seismologists.
However, they all agreed that the Datun Volcanic Group had erupted approximately 100,000 to 200,000 years ago, he said.
Asked what signs would show that a volcano is becoming increasingly active, Shin said that one sign to observe is if small earthquakes happen more frequently, because it shows that the magma chamber is gradually moving close to the surface.
“Another sign would be the depth of the epicenters of the earthquakes, whether they are getting closer to the surface. These two factors would help determine if the magma chamber is moving upward,” he said.
So far, the bureau has yet to detect any increase in the frequency of small earthquakes or other seismic activity in the Datun Volcanic Group that would point to the development of an active volcano, Shin said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost