Text / MOOK Scenic Spots Family compiled report
Over the past two consecutive years, strong earthquakes occurred on New Year's Eve, leaving many still concerned about seismic activity during the Spring Festival. The holiday period from February 5 to the early hours of February 10 saw at least four noticeable earthquakes.
Photo / Central Weather Bureau
At 4:12 a.m. on February 10, a magnitude 3.8 earthquake was felt, with the epicenter in Shilin District, Taipei City. The shaking was quite noticeable, waking many from their sleep. Tremors of magnitude 3 were felt in Xinyi District, Taipei City, and Wugu District, New Taipei City, while magnitude 2 tremors were felt in Taipei, New Taipei, and Yilan.
In addition, at 4:20 p.m. on February 9, another earthquake with a magnitude of 3.2 occurred with the epicenter also in Shilin District, Taipei City; and at 12:52 a.m. on February 8, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake was felt, with the epicenter in Dapu Township, Chiayi. Tremors of magnitude 3 to 4 were felt across central to southern regions.
This recent pair of earthquakes with the epicenter in Shilin occurred in succession. Within the Taipei Basin and especially in high-rise buildings, the shaking sensation and duration were more pronounced. The weather bureau explained that this was likely due to the release of energy along the volcanic fracture zone of the Datun Mountain Range. Since Shilin District experiences a magnitude 4 earthquake approximately every 3.5 years, the bureau stated that further monitoring is needed to confirm and predict such activity.