Four days after the biggest earthquake in Taiwan's history, scientists said that people should be not be overly anxious about another major earthquake in the Chianan Plain (
However, scientists cautioned people should be prepared for aftershocks, especially those who live east of the epicenter, 12.5km west of Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) in Nantou County.
"Is that [Tuesday's tremor] the `big one' scientists expected?" people have been asking since Sept. 21. Based on information gathered in a three-day field investigation, the National Science Council (NSC, 國家科學委員會) provided the answer yesterday.
"Science experts conclude that only a low possibility of another big quake following in southern Taiwan exists," said NSC chairman Huang Chen-tai (黃鎮台).
"Some aftershocks, possibly over six on the Richter scale, are expected. We need to warn people, especially those who live in areas east of the epicenter, to be careful about aftershocks," said Tsai Yi-ben (
Scientists are still working out the precise sequence of events that led to the earthquake.
The epicenter lay between the Chelungpu fault (車籠埔斷層) and the Tamaopu-Shuangtung fault (
To evaluate earthquake disasters, officials from the NSC's National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE,
"By simulating the earthquake, we can know immediately which parts of the island could have been most seriously affected. We have provided the disaster rescue center a list of areas that will most need emergency services," said Loh Chin-hsiung (
Meanwhile, the Central Weather Bureau says there is a rumor spreading across the island that there will be aftershocks of even greater magnitude than Tuesday's jolt. The bureau dismisses this idea, and has posted vital information on its World Wide Web site (http://www.cwb.gov.tw) to explain why the rumor is groundless.
Bureau officials said yesterday that they had recorded more than 5,000 aftershocks since the seismic activity started.
"People don't have to be worried by this rumor, the aftershocks are releasing stored-up energy in a gradual manner," said Hsin Tsai-chin (
More worrying, according to officials at the bureau, is an approaching storm. The bureau cautioned those in disaster areas to prepare for possible heavy rain and low temperatures brought on by Tropical Storm Cam (凱姆颱風), which was southwest of Taiwan yesterday evening. Officials said the temperature during the night in mountain areas in central Taiwan might drop to 10°C or lower.
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
RSS