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List of earthquakes in Taiwan

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Plot of earthquake data (left) and the fault distribution in Taiwan
3D block diagram showing plate tectonic setting of Taiwan

Taiwan is in a seismically active zone, on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and at the western edge of the Philippine Sea plate.[1] Geologists have identified 42 active faults on the island, but most of the earthquakes detected in Taiwan are due to the convergence of the Philippine Sea plate and the Eurasian plate to the east of the island.[1][2] Most of the earthquakes registered in Taiwan actually occur off the east coast and cause little damage, whereas smaller quakes beneath the island itself have historically proven more destructive. The first recorded earthquake in Taiwan was in 1624, the founding year of Dutch Formosa.[3] Between 1901 and the year 2000 there were 91 major earthquakes in Taiwan, 48 of them resulting in loss of life.[4] The most recent major earthquake was the 2024 Hualien earthquake, and the most recent major earthquake with a high death toll was the 921 earthquake, which struck on 21 September 1999, and claimed 2,415 lives.

Many modern buildings in Taiwan are constructed with earthquake safety in mind, including Taipei 101, which had to cope with the dual challenges of being flexible enough to withstand earthquakes, yet rigid enough to resist wind shear. The High Speed Rail system incorporates an automatic safety device to safely bring all trains to a halt when a significant earthquake is detected.[5] Nevertheless, poor construction standards have been blamed for casualties in a number of major earthquakes, including the 1906 Meishan earthquake and the 1999 Jiji earthquake. Inside Taiwan the Central Weather Bureau is the organisation responsible for monitoring and reporting on earthquakes. Large earthquakes are also assessed by the United States Geological Survey. Scientific studies of the seismology of the island started in the Japanese era, when the first seismograph was installed in Taipei by Fusakichi Omori's company.[6]

Earthquakes

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Significant earthquakes are listed here from 1736 to the present. Starting with the Japanese era in 1895 there were major improvements in detection technology, allowing more detailed gathering of data.

Date Areas Lat Long Depth
(km) 		Mag. MMI Deaths Injuries Houses destroyed / notes
2024-04-03 Hualien 23.819 121.562 34.8 7.4 Mw  VIII 18 1,145+ Some buildings collapsed / Bridge collapsed [7][8]
2022-09-18 Taitung 23.159 121.316 10.0 6.9 Mw  IX 1 171 Some buildings collapsed / Bridge collapsed
2022-03-22 Taitung 23.409 121.559 24.0 6.7 Mw  VII 1 Power outages / Bridge collapsed [9][10]
2022-01-03 Hualien 23.997 122.235 28.7 6.2 Mw  IV Some buildings were damaged [11][12][13][14]
2021-10-24 Yilan 24.571 121.830 64.5 6.2 Mw  VI 1 [15]
2021-07-13 Hualien 23.902 121.623 10.0 5.2 Mw  III Minor damage [16][17]
2019-08-07 Yilan 24.478 121.930 20.8 5.8 Mw  VI 1 [18]
2019-04-18 Hualien 24.037 121.650 20.0 6.1 Mw  VI 1 16 [19]
2018-02-06 Hualien 24.134 121.659 17.0 6.4 Mw  VIII 17 277 Some buildings collapsed [20][21]
2018-02-04 Hualien 24.157 121.708 12.0 6.1 Mw  VI [22]
2017-02-10 Tainan 22.83 120.22 15.8 5.3 Mw  VII 4 Power outages [23]
2016-02-06 Tainan, Kaohsiung 22.94 120.59 23 6.4 Mw  VII 117 550 9 [24][25]
2015-04-20 Yilan 24.05 122.37 5 6.4 Mw  V 1
2013-10-31 Hualien 23.62 121.43 19.5 6.3 Mw  VII 0
2013-06-02 Island-wide 23.87 121.0 10.0 6.2 Mw  VII 5 18
2013-03-27 Island-wide 23.9 121.07 19.4 5.9 Mw  V 1 97
2012-02-26 Pingtung 22.75 120.75 26.3 6.4 0
2010-03-04 Kaohsiung 22.92 120.73 5 6.3 Mw  VI 96
2009-12-19 Hualien 23.76 121.69 43 6.4 Mw  VI 6
2006-12-26 Pingtung 21.69 120.56 44.1 7.1 Mw  VII 2 3
21.97 120.42 50.2 6.9 Mw  V
2004-10-15 Yilan, Su-ao 24.5 122.696 6.7 Mw  [26]
2004-05-01 Hualien 24.1 121.95 17.8 5.8 2
2002-05-15 Yilan, Hualien 24.6 121.9 5 6.2 Mw  VI 1
2002-03-31 Hualien, Taipei 24.2 122.1 9.6 7.1 Mw  7 6
2000-06-11 Nantou 23.9 121.1 10.2 6.4 Mw  2
2000-05-17 Nantou 24.2 121.1 3 5.3 3
1999-09-21 Island-wide 23.9 120.8 8 7.7 Mw  X+ 2,415 [27]
1998-07-17 Nantou 23.5 120.7 3 6.2 5
1995-06-25 Yilan 24.6 121.7 40 6.0 Mw  1 6
1995-02-23 Hualien 24.2 121.7 21.7 6.2 Mw  2
1994-09-16 Taiwan Strait 22.5 118.7 13 6.8 Mw  0 0
1994-06-05 Yilan 24.4 121.8 5.3 6.4 Mw  VII 1 1
1990-12-13 Hualien 23.9 121.5 3 6.7 Mw  VII 2 3
1986-11-15 Hualien 24.0 121.8 15 7.4 Mw  VII 15 37
1986-05-20 Hualien 24.1 121.6 16 6.2 Mw  VIII 1
1982-01-23 Yilan, Hualien 24.0 121.6 3 6.5 1
1978-12-13 Hualien 23.3 121.6 4 7.0 Mw  VI 2
1972-04-24 Hualien 23.5 121.4 15 7.0 Mw  VII 5 50
1972-01-25 Taitung 22.5 122.3 33 7.3 Mw  VI 1 5
1967-10-25 Yilan 24.4 122.1 20 6.8 Mw  VII 2 21
1966-03-13 Hualien 24.2 122.7 42 7.5 Mw  VII 4 24
1964-01-18 Chiayi, Tainan 23.2 120.6 18 6.5 Mw  VI 106 10,924
1963-03-04 Yilan 24.6 121.1 5 6.3 Mw  1
1963-02-13 Yilan 24.35 122.06 47 7.2 Mw  VII 3–15 3–18 6
1959-08-15 Pingtung 21.7 121.3 20 7.1 16 1,214
1959-04-27 Northeast Taiwan 24.1 123.0 150 7.7 1 9
1957-10-20 Hualien 23.7 121.5 10 6.6 4
1957-02-24 Hualien 23.8 121.8 30 7.3 11 44
1951-11-25 Taitung 23.3 121.3 30 7.8Mw  17
1951-10-22 Hualien 23.9 121.7 25 7.5Mw  68
1946-12-05 Tainan 23.1 120.3 5 6.1 74 1,954
1943-12-02 Taitung 22.5 121.5 40 6.8 Mw  3 139
1943-10-23 Hualien 23.8 121.5 5 6.2 1 1
1941-12-17 Chiayi 23.4 120.5 12 7.2Mw  360 4,520
1935-07-17 Hsinchu, Taichung 24.6 120.7 30 6.2 44 1,734
1935-04-21 Miaoli, Taichung 24.4 120.8 5 7.1Mw  3,276 17,907
1930-12-08 Tainan 23.3 120.4 20 6.3 Mw  4 49
1927-08-25 Tainan 23.3 120.5 6.8 Muk  9–30 27–100 200–214 [28]
1922-12-02 Hualien 24.6 122.0 6.0 1 1
1922-10-15 Hualien 24.6 122.3 20 5.9 6
1922-09-22 Hualien 24.5 122 20 7.6 5 14
1920-06-05 Hualien 24.6 121.9 20 8.2 8 24 273
1917-01-07 Central Taiwan 23.9 120.9 shallow 5.5 187
1917-01-05 Central Taiwan 24.0 121.0 shallow 6.2 54 130
1916-11-15 Central Taiwan 24.1 120.9 3 6.2 1 97
1916-08-28 Central Taiwan 24.0 121.0 45 6.8 16 614
1910-04-12 Keelung 25.1 122.9 200 8.3 60 13
1909-04-15 Taipei 23.7 121.5 80 7.3 9 122
1908-01-11 Hualien 23.7 121.4 10 7.3 2 3
1906-04-14 Tainan 23.4 120.4 20 6.6 15 1,794
1906-03-17 Chiayi 23.6 120.5 6 6.8 Ms IX 1,258–1,266 2,385– 2,476 14,218–30,021
1904-11-06 Chiayi 23.6 120.3 7 6.1 145 661
1904-04-24 Chiayi 23.5 120.3 – 6.1 3 66
1897-03-15 Yilan, Taipei – – – – 56 50
1882-12-09 Island-wide 23.0 121.4 – ~7.5 10 40
1881-02-18 Taipei, Hsinchu, Miaoli 24.6 120.7 – ~6.2 11 210
1867-12-18 Greater Taipei 25.3 121.7 – ~7.0 580
1865-11-06 Taipei 24.9 121.6 – ~6.0 "many"
1862-06-07 Changhua 23.2 120.2 – ~7.0 over 500 over 500
1848-12-03 Chiayi 24.1 120.5 – ~7.1 1,030 13,993
1845-03-04 Taichung 24.1 120.7 – ~6.0 381 4220
1815-10-13 From Chiayi northwards 24.0 121.7 – ~7.7 113 243
1811-03-17 From Chiayi northwards 23.8 121.8 – ~7.5 21 41
1792-08-09 Yunlin 23.6 120.5 – ~7.1 617 24,621
1736-01-30 Tainan 23.1 120.5 – ~6.5 372 698
Muk  = Unknown magnitude scale, ML  = Richter scale, Ms  = surface-wave magnitude, and Mw  = moment magnitude scale. The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described are also applicable to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Taiwan Yearbook 2005, p. 23
  2. ^ Yu, S.B.; Chen, H.Y.; Kuo, L.C. (1997). "Velocity field of GPS stations in the Taiwan area". Tectonophysics. 274 (1–3): 41–59. Bibcode:1997Tectp.274...41Y. doi:10.1016/S0040-1951(96)00297-1.
  3. ^ 二十世紀前 (1604–1900) 台灣地區的地震記載. Central Weather Bureau. Archived from the original on 2010-12-14. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  4. ^ 二十世紀 (1901–2000) 台灣地區災害性地震 (in Chinese). Central Weather Bureau. Archived from the original on 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
  5. ^ "SHATTERED BELIEF: Biting the bullet". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  6. ^ Davidson, Charles (1927). The Founders of Seismology. p. 223.
  7. ^ National Earthquake Information Center (3 April 2024). "M 7.4 - 18 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ^ "快訊／花蓮7.2地震！整棟大樓「整根拔起」倒塌 驚悚畫面曝光" (in Chinese). TVBS. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  9. ^ "M 6.7 - 63 km S of Hualien City, China Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  10. ^ "更新【國家級警報】台灣3/23清晨連六震! 最強規模6.6 花蓮玉里鎮玉興橋新建橋面震垮!". Taiwan News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  11. ^ "M 6.2 - 64 km E of Hualien City, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  12. ^ "地震規模6.0 北市2建物磁磚掉落無傷亡" (in Chinese). Yahoo News. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. ^ "雙北地震搖很大！三重1213戶停電 台電：已全數復電". udn.com (in Chinese). 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Taiwan's first earthquake for 2022 a magnitude 6: some minor damage, no casualties reported". taiwanenglishnews.com. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  15. ^ "M 6.2 - 21 km SSE of Yilan, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  16. ^ "M 5.2 - 8 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  17. ^ "Series of earthquakes in eastern Taiwan causes some damage". The Asahi Shimbun.
  18. ^ "M 5.8 - 35 km SSE of Yilan, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  19. ^ "M 6.1 - 8 km NE of Hualien City, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  20. ^ "M 6.4 - 18 km NNE of Hualien City, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  21. ^ "Earthquake - Magnitude 6.4 - TAIWAN - 2018 February 06".
  22. ^ "M 6.1 - 22 km NNE of Hualien City, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  23. ^ "M 5.3 - 18 km S of Tainan, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey.
  24. ^ "M 6.4 - 25 km SE of Yujing, Taiwan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  25. ^ 交通部中央氣象局 (2018-01-18). "中央氣象局全球資訊網". 中央氣象局全球資訊網. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  26. ^ "地震資訊 第094號 10月15日12時8分 規模7.1 宜蘭蘇澳地震站東方 101.8 公里 - 中央氣象署地震測報中心". scweb.cwa.gov.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  27. ^ "Original ArticleMortality of the 921 Earthquake in Nantou and Taichung Counties".
  28. ^ NGDC 1972

Sources:

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