TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The recent series of earthquakes since Sept. 18 in Taiwan has led many to worry whether Taiwan is reaching an active seismic activity period. Still, experts said that it's still too early to tell.
They observed that the recent magnitude 6.8 earthquake had various similarities, (including its hypocenter and its status as a shallow earthquake) to the 1999 earthquake which resulted in heavy casualties.
According to data, geologists believe that the current earthquakes aftershocks have already passed. However, some still worry that the current pattern shows similarities with the series of earthquakes that struck the Huadong Valley in 1951.
Liang Wen-tzong, a senior research scientist for the Academia Sinica's Institute of Earth Sciences remarked, "It has been about 70 years since the last big seismic activity on the fault line between the sides of the Huadong Valley."
"It has possibly accumulated enough stress, so it is gradually releasing energy." Nonetheless, experts point out that it's too early to say whether Taiwan has reached the active period of seismic activities yet.
Director of the Seismological Center at the Central Weather Bureau Chen Kuo-chang explained, "Since the second half of last year, there has been a lot of seismic activity, but it is difficult to judge whether it will reach the so-called active period of earthquakes in Taiwan because the time is too short."
Though it's still too early to determine the seismic patterns underneath Taiwan, experts call on the public to inspect their buildings and emergency exits ahead of the next big quake.
