"918 earthquake" redirects here. For the September 18 earthquake in India, see 2011 Sikkim earthquake.
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Chinese. (November 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Chinese Wikipedia article at [[:zh:2022年台東地震]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template {{Translated|zh|2022年台東地震}} to the talk page.
Two earthquakes affected Taitung and Hualien Counties, Taiwan within hours of each other. The first earthquake struck Taitung on September 17, 2022, occurring with a magnitude of 6.5 Mw , causing minor damage and some injuries. The second earthquake occurred roughly a day after the first tremor struck the same area, with a stronger magnitude of 6.9 Mw . Both earthquakes had maximum Modified Mercalli intensities of VII (Very strong) and IX (Violent), respectively.[4][5]
Tectonic setting
Taiwan lies on the boundary between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Plate, which converge at 80 mm per year. The island is the result of uplift caused by the collision between the northern end of the LuzonArc and the continental margin of mainland China.[6]
The earthquakes were the result of shallow oblique-slip faulting. An analysis of both focal mechanisms suggest the earthquakes ruptured along a shallow WNW-dipping, SSW–NNE-striking sinistral fault or steep SSW–dipping, east-oriented oblique-dextral fault.[7][8] Prior to the mainshock event, seismologists in Taiwan said it was produced along an unknown fault that was likely unstudied.[9] The epicenter location suggest a fault located along the west side of the Huadong Valley, responsible for thrusting the Central Mountain Range. The earthquake was attributed to continental collision between the Philippine Sea and Eurasian plate.[10]
Foreshocks
The largest foreshock occurred on 17 September, measuring 6.4 ML by the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). It struck at a depth of 7.3 km (4.5 mi) and had a maximum CWB seismic intensity of 6+.[11] After the mainshock, the 17 September earthquake and 70 subsequent shocks recorded later were reassigned as "foreshocks".[12] The Earthquake Prediction Center of the CWB said that 73 foreshocks were recorded, which is a rare occurrence. Five foreshocks had magnitudes larger than 5.0.[13]
It was felt strongly at Quanzhou, Xiamen in Fujian Province and Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province.[14] The Hong Kong Observatory received 10 reports of people feeling shaking; an analysis indicated it was felt with a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of III.[15]
The Kaohsiung Metro system was temporarily suspended due to the shaking, and objects fell from shelves in Taitung City, where an old house collapsed.[29][1] In Luye, part of the Baohua Bridge had been severely damaged.[30] A shopping mall in Kaohsiung City suffered cracks in floors and ceilings.[31] In Fuli, the wall of a house collapsed.[32] The Wan'an Brick Factory, a historical monument in Chishang, collapsed.[33] Eight people suffered minor injuries,[34][35] and a man in Minxiong had to be treated for injuries after suffering a heart attack during the earthquake.[36]
September 18
Damaged house
Along Zhongshan Road in Yuli, Hualien, a three-storey building housing a 7-Eleven store collapsed, injuring four people, who were all rescued.[37][38] Part of the Dongli railway station was damaged and a train was derailed, and all 20 passengers were evacuated.[39] In Yuli, Hualien County, part of a highway collapsed, injuring three people.[40] Several other bridges were also damaged.[41] In Taoyuan, a sports center collapsed, injuring two people.[42] In Yuli, a cement factory collapsed, killing a 69-year old worker and injuring several others.[43][44] In total, there were 171 reported injuries, most of them in Hualien and Taitung Counties.[45][46]
In a speech made shortly after the second earthquake, President Tsai Ing-wen warned of large aftershocks and called for citizens to remain vigilant.[50] The Central Emergency Operation Center was placed on its highest alert level in response to aftershocks.[51] The Atomic Energy Council said that nuclear plants across the country were unaffected and in usual operation.[12] About 400 tourists were rescued after being stranded on Chike Mountain due to landslides.[51] The local government ordered the closure of schools in Yuli, Fuli and Zhuoxi townships. School and work were suspended in Guanshan, Luye, Chihshang, Haiduan and Yanping townships. Schools and workplaces had to be close after noon of 18 September in the villages of Wulu, Lidao, Xinwu, and Haiduan. In Changbin township, work could resume but schools were suspended.[49]
^"【不斷更新】台東池上規模6.8地震 1739富里再出現5.8達5強餘震" [(Continuously updated) Taitung Chishang magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred in 1739 Fuli with 5.8 to 5 strong aftershocks]. tw.news.yahoo.com. 18 September 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-09-18. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
^"「規模6.8是台東陸地有紀錄來最強地震！」氣象局：70多起前震相當少見" ["Scale 6.8 is the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Taitung mainland!" Meteorological Bureau: More than 70 foreshocks are quite rare]. Central News Agency. Storm Media. 18 September 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^Jingmei, Lin; Jiabao, Wu (18 September 2022). "池上6.8震為主震 氣象局：73次前震實屬罕見狀況" [The 6.8 earthquake in Chishang is the main shock Meteorological Bureau: 73 foreshocks are a rare situation]. Public Television Service (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^"台湾台东县发生6.5级地震 福建沿海多地震感强烈" [A 6.5-magnitude earthquake occurred in Taitung County, Taiwan, and many earthquakes were felt along the coast of Fujian.]. China News Service (in Chinese). 17 September 2022. Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^"台湾6.8级地震：美日发布海啸预警" [Taiwan earthquake of magnitude 6.8: US and Japan issue tsunami warning]. Lianhe Zaobao. 18 September 2022. Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^"台湾6.4级地震已发生50多次余震" (in Chinese). Yahoo News Taiwan. 18 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
^"規模6.4強震嘉義震度4級 男子嚇到心臟不適送醫治療". Liberty Times Net (in Chinese). 17 September 2022. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
^Chenglin, You (18 September 2022). "不斷更新／花蓮玉里驚大樓倒塌！4人受困已救出1人" [Constantly updated / Hualien Yuli was shocked by the collapse of the building! 4 people trapped, 1 rescued]. SET News (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^Sihui, Wang (18 September 2022). "影／台東池上6.8強震 花蓮列車疑似出軌傾倒、傷亡未知" [Shadow / Taitung Chishang 6.8 Strong Earthquake Hualien Train Suspected Derailment Dumped, Casualties Unknown]. United Daily News (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^Jinyi, Wang (18 September 2022). "918強震》花蓮玉里水泥廠工人遭壓 送醫搶救不治". Liberty Times Net (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
