Taiwan and its Earthquake Problem

Taiwan was recently hit by its biggest earthquake in at least 25 years.

Reason behind earthquakes in Taiwan

• Notably, Taiwan is prone to earthquakes as it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” — where 90% of the world’s earthquakes take place.
• The island and its surrounding waters have registered about 2,000 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater since 1980, and more than 100 earthquakes with a magnitude above 5.5.
• Vulnerability of Ring of Fire to earthquakes: The Ring of Fire witnesses so many earthquakes due to constant sliding past, colliding into, or moving above or below each other of the tectonic plates.
  • As the edges of these plates are quite rough, they get stuck with one another while the rest of the plate keeps moving.
• An earthquake occurs when the plate has moved far enough and the edges unstick on one of the faults.
• Taiwan experiences earthquakes due to the interactions of two tectonic plates
  • Philippine Sea Plate
  • Eurasian Plate

Volcano Issue

• The existence of volcanoes in the Ring of Fire is also due to the movement of tectonic plates.
• Many of the volcanoes have been formed through a process known as
• It takes place when two plates collide with each other and the heavier plate is shoved under another, creating a deep trench.