A series of 15 earthquakes hit Hualien City

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‘Fragmented area’: Two tremors of magnitude 5.4 followed another series last month, including one of the same strength.

By Shelley Chan / Staff Reporter

Fifteen earthquakes have been detected since Tuesday in Shuofong Township, Hualien County, the Central Meteorological Bureau said yesterday, adding that more aftershocks may occur in the next seven days.

Seismological center director Chen Kuchang ( مدير) said the main earthquake occurred at 7:24 p.m. Wednesday.

It added that it had a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale, and its epicenter was 10 kilometers southwest of Hualien County Hall.

Image courtesy of Hualien County Fire Department via CNA

After the main earthquake, the center recorded 12 aftershocks from Wednesday evening to yesterday morning, including aftershocks with a magnitude of 5.4 at 6:11 a.m. yesterday, Qin said.

He said two earthquakes were recorded: a 4.5-magnitude earthquake at 6:26 p.m. on Tuesday, and a 4.2-magnitude earthquake at 3:21 a.m. Wednesday.

Chen said that two of the 15 earthquakes recorded over the past three days had a magnitude above 5, five had a magnitude between 4 and 5, and eight had a magnitude between 3 and 4.

He added that more aftershocks may occur in the next seven days.

With the strongest aftershock reaching the same magnitude as the main earthquake in the series, Qin said the center is evaluating whether both earthquakes should be recorded as the main earthquake in the series.

Shufong lies in a geologically fragmented region where the Philippine sea plate collides with the Eurasian plate, Chen said, adding that the oceanic plate slopes northward under the continental plate.

Although the center records tremors in Shufong frequently, Chen said large earthquakes rarely occur in the town, with the largest in the past 48 years being a 6.5-magnitude earthquake in 1990.

Qin said that since 1973, there have been 22 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater in Shufong, including two this week.

“It is unlikely that seismic energy would accumulate in such a geologically fragmented area,” he said. “The risk of an earthquake of magnitude 6 or greater is very low.”

Qin said there were no reports of damage from this week’s earthquakes.

But he added that frequent earthquakes can weaken rocks and soil in the area, increasing the risk of mudflows or landslides during hurricanes or rainstorms.

A similar series of 15 earthquakes occurred in the same area last month, Chen said, adding that the series of the main earthquake on June 11 had a magnitude of 5.4.

It was preceded by three earthquakes on June 10 and 11, one of which measured 5.1 on the Richter scale, Chen said.

He said 10 tremors were recorded on June 11 alone, followed by tremors on June 12 and three on the following days, on June 13, 14 and 18.

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