Magnitude 5.5 to 6 aftershocks might hit Taiwan in the coming days after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the east coast yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
The earthquake, which occurred at 7:05am about 120.2km east of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 5.7km, could trigger aftershocks within five days, because temblors of magnitude 6 or higher often do not release all of their energy in a single event, CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) said.
However, the impact of the aftershocks on Taiwan should be limited, as they would likely be centered far from the nation and be lower in intensity, Wu said.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
As of 11:30am yesterday, there had already been a magnitude 5.1 aftershock centered close to where the original quake struck, but its intensity, the measure of how hard the ground actually shakes in a given location, did not exceed the lowest level — level 1 — anywhere in Taiwan.
Tuesday’s earthquake was likely caused by subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, Wu said.
It was also the first magnitude 6 or higher earthquake recorded in the vicinity of Taiwan so far this year. The previous biggest was a magnitude 5.8 quake in Hualien County on Oct. 11.
Taiwan has averaged two to three earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher a year over the past 20 years, Wu said.
There are an average of 24 magnitude 5 quakes per year, Wu said, adding that Taiwan has already experienced 25 this year.
While there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries after yesterday’s earthquake, the Taiwan Railways Administration as a precaution reduced train speeds to 30kph to 60kph in several areas in north, northeast and central Taiwan, leading to a total of 381 minutes of delays, with 3,400 passengers on 18 trains affected, the agency said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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