The National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) and Academia Sinica have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that could help researchers predict earthquakes one day in advance.
The model could predict earthquakes based on precursors to tectonic activity, researchers said.
The research team, led by Academia Sinica researcher Lee Lou-chuang (李羅權) and NCHC associate researcher Tsai Tsung-che (蔡宗哲), developed an AI model using total electron content (TEC) data and the Taiwania 2 supercomputer.
Photo: Jameson Wu, Reuters
The model could predict a magnitude 6 or higher earthquake one day in advance by analyzing data from the previous 30 days, they said.
Past studies also found that atmospheric TEC within a 50km radius of the epicenter of an earthquake show signs of change prior to a large earthquake, the Central Weather Bureau’s Seismological Center said, adding that TEC above Taiwan proper was low just before the 1999 Jiji earthquake.
National Taiwan University researcher Jhuang, Hau-Kun (莊皓琨), who was also on the research team, on Saturday said the team analyzed TEC data from Europe spanning 2003 to 2014.
“By filtering out certain information such as the disturbance storm time index, sunspot data and the solar radiation index, we were able to accurately determine hourly TEC changes,” he said.
The team also used data from 19 cases of TEC changes in which an earthquake did not occur to improve the accuracy of the AI model, he said.
“The system can now predict when a magnitude 6 or higher earthquake will occur, but we are still limited by the resolution of ionospheric data, and we cannot say for sure where the epicenter will be,” he said.
“We also have to work with a data transmission delay of five days or so, since our global ionospheric data are provided by Europe,” he added.
The team also found that the concentration of radon levels in the ground changes before a major earthquake, Academia Sinica researcher Fu Ching-chou (傅慶州) said, adding that the level of change increases with the earthquake’s intensity and proximity to the epicenter.
“We hope that through all of these factors we will be able to determine more accurately when a major quake will occur, so that we can notify people and ensure their safety,” he said.
The team’s findings have been published by the journal Earth and Space Science.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by