Taipei: An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck Taiwan on Monday morning. There is no immediate news of any loss of life or property during this period.
Taiwan’s ‘Central Weather Bureau’ said an earthquake struck Hualan County at 9:5 a.m. local time. Its center was at a depth of 6.8 km.
According to China’s state broadcaster ‘CCTV’, the tremors were felt across the island, including northern Taipei. Its effect was also seen in the Taiwan Strait.
According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau, a second minor quake occurred about half an hour later. Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes, as the island is located near the junction of two tectonic plates.
The island does not issue a tsunami warning unless the magnitude of the earthquake exceeds 7.0. Some earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher can prove fatal. However, much depends on where and at what depth the earthquake occurred.
Why does an earthquake happen?
There are 7 plates inside the earth, which are constantly rotating. Where these plates collide more, that zone is called a fault line. Due to repeated collisions, the corners of the plates are twisted. When more pressure builds up, the plates start breaking. The energy below finds a way out and after the disturbance, an earthquake occurs.
How is the intensity of an earthquake measured and what is the scale of measurement?
Earthquakes are measured by the Richter scale. This is called the Richter Magnitude Test Scale. Earthquakes are measured on a scale from 1 to 9 on the Richter scale. An earthquake is measured from its epicenter. It measures the intensity of the energy released from inside the earth during an earthquake. This intensity gives an idea of the magnitude of the tremor of the earthquake.
