The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today warned of aftershocks measuring magnitude 5 or higher in southern Taiwan over the next three days, after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake jolted Chiayi County early this morning.
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake, the epicenter of which was 37.9km southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 9.7km, rocked Chiayi County at 12:17am, CWA data showed.
Photo: Liu Wan-chun, Taipei Times
The quake's seismic intensity was highest in Dapu Township (大埔), measuring 6- on Taiwan's 7-tier scale.
Photo courtesy of the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters
The earthquake also registered a seismic intensity level of 5- in Tainan and Kaohsiung.
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake — the strongest Dapu Township had experienced in 61 years — shook the ground for about 43 seconds, causing vibrations of level 2 or higher, CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) said.
As of 11am, 55 aftershocks had been felt in southern Taiwan, mostly in Tainan's Nansi (楠西) and Nanhua (南化) districts, center data showed.
There were 14 measuring magnitude 4 or higher, with two aftershocks measuring 5 and 5.2.
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake originated in a location near where the Baihe earthquake struck Tainan in 1964, former center director Kuo Kai-wen (郭鎧紋) said.
The two seisms had similar geological structures, he added.
Kuo cautioned the public in Chiayi and Tainan to be careful of moderate-to-major earthquakes in the month ahead, as Taiwan had not experienced temblors of more than magnitude 6 for more than 150 days.
On average, Taiwan has a 1 percent chance of being hit by an earthquake of more than magnitude 6 on a daily basis, he said.
According to the center's records, various earthquakes with magnitudes measuring between 5 and 6 have shaken areas within a 30km radius around Dapu Township, including a magnitude 6.3 Baihe earthquake in 1964 and a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Chungpu (中埔) in 1941.
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