Monday morning’s earthquake has some people wondering whether this year will be full of seismic activity.
On Monday at 9:05 a.m. in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County, residents felt the strongest earthquake for months.
The quake was centered in Guangfu Township. It registered a 6.0 on the Richter scale and occurred only 6.8 kilometers below the ground, the shallowest this year.
People throughout Taiwan experienced shaking, with the strongest felt in Hualien County. Researchers say the tremor’s epicenter was in a place where two tectonic plates meet, a common feature of Taiwan’s central mountain range.
Seismologist Chen Kuo-chang says the central mountain range fault line runs along a valley. He says anything to the west of that valley will experience deep and shallow earthquakes.
Chen adds that though the western side of the fault rarely produces tremors, it accumulates a lot of tension. That means when an earthquake does occur, it’s usually longer and has more aftershocks.
Chen says that means aftershocks up to magnitude 5.0 are possible.
Researchers say this quake was unrelated to a similarly large one in late March. Now some are wondering if this year could have an unusually large number of earthquakes.
Chen says up to now, the year on record with the most tremors over magnitude 6.0 was 1999 with 13.
This year, Taiwan has already had eight quakes that size.
Authorities say that though this time no one was injured, the public should remain vigilant.