Yeah, but I'm actually really impressed. If the building tilts way over and does not collapse, that saves lives. From watching the news today, it sounds like building codes are pretty earthquake-aware in Taiwan, and the tilted buildings were built to older codes and not retrofitted (but still did pretty well considering how severe the earthquake magnitude was).nsaspook said:
Indeed. This is a nice article about how Taiwan has been preparing for the inevitable earthquakes common in their region:berkeman said:
The major earthquakes near Hualien, Taiwan, were caused by the complex tectonic interactions in the region, primarily due to the convergence of the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. This tectonic activity leads to significant stress accumulation along fault lines, ultimately resulting in earthquakes when the stress is released.
The earthquakes that occurred near Hualien, Taiwan, had magnitudes of 7.4 (initially reported as 7.2) and 6.4. These magnitudes indicate strong seismic events capable of causing considerable damage, especially in populated areas.
The depth of the earthquakes plays a crucial role in their impact. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more damage at the surface than deeper ones. The specific depths of these earthquakes can vary, but generally, shallower depths (less than 10 km) are associated with more intense shaking and potential for damage.
The areas most affected by the earthquakes near Hualien, Taiwan, included the city of Hualien itself and surrounding regions. The intensity of shaking and potential for damage would have varied depending on proximity to the epicenter and local geological conditions.
To prepare for future earthquakes, residents and local authorities can implement several measures, including strengthening building codes to ensure structures can withstand seismic activity, conducting regular earthquake drills, creating emergency response plans, and investing in early warning systems to provide timely alerts to the population.