After Taiwan was rocked by more than a hundred earthquakes in the last two days, seismologists say the aftershocks are tapering off and things are going back to normal. But they’ve also made predictions about which places in Taiwan should brace for the next big quake.
A 660 metric ton steel orb sways from side to side inside Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper. This orb, known as a damper, cancels out forces from wind and earthquakes to keep the tower steady. The damper put in overtime over the weekend as Taiwan was hit by a series of tremors.
At 9:41 p.m. on Saturday, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Taiwan’s east coast. In the 17 hours that followed, there were around 60 aftershocks. Then at 2:44 p.m. on Sunday, another earthquake hit Taiwan’s east coast. This time, it was a magnitude 6.8. After that, another 61 aftershocks hit the country throughout Sunday before the seismic activity started tapering down.
Now that things are returning to normal, seismologists have gained a clearer picture of what the future might bring. A professor at National Cheng Kung University says southern Taiwan may need to brace for the country’s next big quake. He says it’s been 400 years since southern Taiwan’s last major earthquake, and that the fault lines may be raring to go.
It’s not just southern Taiwan that needs to stay alert though. Earthquakes can strike all over Taiwan at any time. Authorities say it’s important to stay prepared for any circumstance. That way, you’re ready for any tremor, big or small.