A 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck the township of Hemei in Changhua this Wednesday. Shocked and worried citizens stated that such quakes are seldom felt in the area.
While many in Taiwan have grown accustomed to experiencing mid-sized tremors since the Hualien earthquake on April 3, residents of Hemei were surprised to experience an earthquake right in their hometown. At about nine o’clock Wednesday evening, the ground began to shake; some local residents even reported hearing a rumbling sound coming from deep within the earth.
Many residents said they felt too afraid to go to sleep that night. Some questioned whether the Changhua Fault, which has been inactive for more than 170 years, might have become active once more.
The Changhua Fault is a reverse fault that extends from Hemei to Tianzhong, with a total length of 36 kilometers. Citing data from the Central Geological Survey, Changhua County Councilors pointed out that the probability of earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.5 or higher in the next 50 years exceeds 30%, the highest probability in western Taiwan.
However, the Central Weather Administration stated that data is insufficient to prove this earthquake is related to the Changhua Fault. Section Chief of the Seismological Center Liao Che-wei (廖哲緯) said this level of activity is normal and expected for the area.
Although Wednesday’s earthquake was only 3.7 magnitude, a shallow depth of 21.9 kilometers ensured that it was still strongly felt. It was certainly strong enough to shake up the unsuspecting residents of Hemei.
Hanna Bilinski for RTI News