TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 氣象署) has strengthened Taiwan's earthquake preparedness by establishing 38 new seismic stations this year, increasing the total to 632. This expansion aims to bolster disaster warning capabilities across the island, which has recorded 1,718 earthquakes, including aftershocks, since the April 3 Hualien earthquake.
The CWA plans to introduce customized earthquake warning systems in Kaohsiung and Taichung by next year, reducing alert times from 10 seconds to 7 seconds. By 2028, officials intend to lay a 200-kilometer undersea cable near southern Taiwan, outfitted with three submarine seismic observation stations, to improve tsunami warnings for the Manila Trench.
Meanwhile, a team at the National Central University (NCU, 中央大學) has developed an AI earthquake warning system using deep learning technology. This system can provide seismic intensity data for each county within three seconds of an earthquake, with an accuracy rate exceeding 90%. Associate Professor Chan Chung-han (詹忠翰) from the Department of Earth Sciences (地球科學系) noted that this AI system surpasses traditional methods by issuing alerts three seconds after a quake begins.
Chen Da-yi (陳達毅), section chief at the CWA Seismological Center (地震測報中心), highlighted Taiwan's dense distribution of seismic instruments, which facilitates rapid signal reception and efficient data processing. Experts suggest linking Taiwan's monitoring stations with those in the Philippines to expand seismic monitoring capabilities.
Positioned in a seismically active zone, Taiwan continues to develop AI technology to enhance earthquake warning efficacy, providing residents with more time to respond to potential threats.
