Dr. Lucy Jones explains how big tsunamis can be from the Taiwan quake
Summary
TLDRA 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan, causing building collapses and triggering tsunami warnings, including a 9-foot wave predicted for Okinawa, Japan. Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones explains that Taiwan, with its high earthquake frequency, has robust building codes, though fault offset and landslides remain significant risks. The event has not affected areas across the ocean.
Takeaways
- π A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan, causing building collapses and triggering tsunami warnings.
- π Japan issued a tsunami alert for Okinawa, forecasting a tsunami of more than 9 feet.
- π’ The epicenter was south of the city of Wualian, with aftershocks affecting the area including the city of Qualiian.
- π Taiwan is described as one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world, with a significantly higher number of earthquakes compared to California.
- π There are no immediate reports of injuries or the extent of damage from the earthquake.
- π Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones notes that Taiwan's buildings have strong engineering standards to withstand earthquakes, despite issues with corruption and enforcement.
- π‘ The quake and its aftershocks exemplify the importance of earthquake preparedness and awareness globally.
- π The fault responsible for the quake is a thrust fault, which can cause significant tsunamis when it occurs under the ocean.
- π The earthquake's effects, including tsunamis, are not expected to impact regions far from Taiwan, such as the United States.
- π§ The potential for landslides, especially in Taiwan's mountainous areas, increases the risk of damage and complicates recovery efforts.
Q & A
What was the magnitude of the earthquake that occurred in Taiwan?
-The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4.
What natural disaster warnings were triggered following the earthquake?
-Tsunami warnings were triggered after the earthquake.
How many aftershocks were mentioned in the transcript and what were their magnitudes?
-There were several strong aftershocks mentioned, including a 6.5 and at least two measuring 5.7 or more.
Which country issued a tsunami alert and what was the expected height of the tsunami?
-Japan issued a tsunami alert, forecasting a tsunami of more than 9 feet.
How does the seismologist, Dr. Lucy Jones, describe the area where the earthquake happened in terms of seismic activity?
-Dr. Lucy Jones described the area as almost the most active place in the world, with Taiwan having about ten times the number of earthquakes as California.
What city was mentioned as the location of the epicenter and which city experienced strong shaking?
-The epicenter is south of the city of Wualian, and strong shaking was experienced in Taipei.
What is the term used to describe the type of fault that can generate a tsunami and how does it work?
-The term is 'thrust fault'. It works when one side moves up and over the other. If this happens under the ocean, the water that was there on top of it gets moved out of the way, creating a tsunami.
What is the expected impact of the tsunami on Japan and what geographical feature of the area reduces the potential damage?
-The tsunami prediction for Japan is for less than 1 meter. The area is extremely mountainous and steep, with high cliffs at the coastline, which reduces the potential for damage from the tsunami.
What is the condition of the buildings in the affected areas in terms of earthquake standards?
-The buildings in the affected areas are generally very strong due to strict building codes and the expertise of their engineers. However, some collapsing buildings were reported in Qualian.
What is the main cause of building damage during an earthquake according to the transcript?
-The main cause of building damage during an earthquake, as mentioned in the transcript, is fault offset, where the ground under the building moves unevenly causing the building to collapse.
How does the infrastructure in Taiwan generally handle earthquakes and what happened 20 years ago that demonstrates this?
-Taiwan's infrastructure generally handles earthquakes well due to strong building codes. Twenty years ago, during a similar magnitude earthquake, the majority of damaged buildings were affected by fault offset, demonstrating the resilience of their construction standards.
Outlines
π¨ Breaking News: Major Earthquake in Taiwan
A severe 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan, causing widespread panic and destruction. This event led to the collapse of buildings and triggered tsunami warnings. Subsequent aftershocks, including magnitudes of 6.5 and two over 5.7, have heightened the crisis. Japan issued a tsunami alert for Okinawa, forecasting waves over 9 feet. Footage from a Taiwanese news station showed significant shaking and people seeking safety. Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones discussed the earthquake's impact, noting Taiwan's high seismic activity compared to California. She pinpointed the epicenter south of Wualian, expecting significant damage there, and mentioned the amplification of shaking in Taipei due to basin effects. Dr. Jones also highlighted the possibility of landslides along coastal areas and the robustness of Taiwan's earthquake-resistant infrastructure.
ποΈ Taiwan's Earthquake Resilience and Damage Analysis
Dr. Lucy Jones further explained the nature of Taiwan's earthquake, emphasizing the country's stringent building codes and engineering expertise. Despite these precautions, damage from a 7.4 magnitude quake is substantial, especially when the fault line directly impacts a structure. She pointed out the unique challenges posed by fault offset, where ground movement can render even the best-engineered buildings vulnerable. Comparing to a similar quake two decades ago, Dr. Jones noted that while construction quality is high, certain natural phenomena, like fault movement, are unavoidable. This conversation underlines the inherent risks of living in seismically active regions and the limits of even the most advanced earthquake mitigation strategies.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Earthquake
π‘Aftershocks
π‘Tsunami
π‘Seismologist
π‘Epicenter
π‘Infrastructure
π‘Building Codes
π‘Fault Offset
π‘Landslides
π‘Tectonic Plates
π‘Basins
Highlights
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan, causing building collapses and triggering tsunami warnings.
Several strong aftershocks followed, including a 6.5 magnitude quake and at least two measuring 5.7 or more.
Japan issued a tsunami alert for the southern island group of Okinawa, forecasting a tsunami of more than 9 feet.
Taiwan experiences about ten times the number of earthquakes as California, making it one of the most active places in the world for seismic activity.
The earthquake's epicenter was south of the city of Wualian, with aftershocks affecting the area to the north, potentially running through the city of Qualian.
Taipei experienced strong shaking, amplified by its basin location, similar to how Los Angeles is affected by its geological features.
Despite the distance, the quake's impact in Taipei is thought to be minimal in terms of damage due to basin effects.
The event raised awareness about earthquake risks and the interconnectedness of seismic activity across different regions.
The thrust fault nature of the earthquake could lead to significant tsunamis, primarily affecting Taiwan's northeast coast.
The mountainous terrain of the affected areas may help mitigate tsunami damage but increases susceptibility to landslides.
Taiwan's strong building codes and engineering practices have historically mitigated damage from such natural disasters.
The potential for corruption and enforcement issues in building codes could impact the extent of damage in some areas.
In the past, the majority of damage from similar events was caused by fault offsets rather than the failure of buildings themselves.
The interview emphasizes the importance of preparedness and resilient infrastructure in earthquake-prone regions.
Dr. Lucy Jones highlights that while Taiwan has very good building codes, some damages, such as those from fault offsets, cannot be prevented.
Transcripts
.
>> THAT BREAKING NEWS OUT OF
TAIWAN TONIGHT, WHERE A 7.4
EARTHQUAKE ROCKED THE ISLAND,
COLLAPSING BUILDINGS AND
TRIGGERING TSUNAMI WARNINGS.
NOW THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL
STRONG AFTERSHOCKS, INCLUDING A
6.5 AND AT LEAST TWO MEASURING
5.7 OR MORE.
JAPAN HAS ISSUED A TSUNAMI ALERT
FOR THE SOUTHERN ISLAND GROUP OF
OKINAWA.
JAPAN IS FORECASTING A TSUNAMI
OF MORE THAN 9 FEET.
NOW THIS IS NEW VIDEO FROM A
NEWS STATION IN TAIWAN.
YOU CAN SEE THE SHAKING THERE.
THE TV MONITORS SHAKING, LIGHT
FIXTURES ALSO SWAYING BACK AND
FORTH.
AND PEOPLE RUNNING FOR A SAFE
PLACE.
SO FAR THERE IS NO WORD OF ANY
INJURIES OR THE AMOUNT OF
DAMAGE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU
UPDATES AS WE GET THEM THERE.
JOINING ME LIVE NOW TO TALK
ABOUT THIS IS SEISMOLOGIST DR.
LUCY JONES.
THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, FOR
TALKING TO US ABOUT EARTHQUAKES
HERE.
>> OF COURSE.
>> TELL US ABOUT THE AREA WHERE
THIS HAPPENED.
PRONE TO EARTHQUAKES?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
PROBABLY -- ALMOST THE MOST
ACTIVE PLACE IN THE WORLD.
TAIWAN IN GENERAL HAS ABOUT TEN
TIMES THE NUMBER OF EARTHQUAKES
AS CALIFORNIA DOES.
AND THIS EARTHQUAKE HAPPENED ON
THE EAST COAST.
THE EPICENTER IS SOUTH OF THE
CITY OF WUALIAN AND SOME OF THE
AFTERSHOCKS ARE TO THE NORTH AND
LOOKS LIKE RAN RIGHT THROUGH THE
CITY OF QUALIIAN.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT'S WHERE MOST
OF THE DAMAGE IS.
I LOOKED AT PICTURES OF DAMAGE.
THAT IS A CITY OF 350,000
PEOPLE.
SO PLENTY OF PEOPLE TO BE
INJURED THERE.
THERE IS ALSO STRONG SHAKING IN
TAIPEI, WHICH I THINK IS
ACTUALLY THE PHOTOGRAPH YOU'VE
GOT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S QUITE A BIT FARTHER AWAY
FROM THE EARTHQUAKE, BUT IT'S A
BASIN.
IT'S BASICALLY A BIG BOWL OF
LOOSE SAIDMENT THAT CAN AMPLIFY
THE SHAKING, JUST LIKE LOS
ANGELES.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE WORRY
ABOUT FOR HERE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY GOT
STRONGER SHAKING THAN TAIPEI AND
I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF THE
BASIN EFFECTS.
BUT I WOULD THINK IT'S PROBABLY
NOT CAUSING DAMAGE IN TAIPEI
ITSELF.
>> I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT DAMAGE OR POSSIBLE DAMAGE
WITH A 7.4 IN JUST A MINUTE.
BUT THIS REALLY DOES RAISE OUR
LEVEL OF AWARENESS ABOUT QUAKES
HERE.
COULD ANY OF THIS HAPPENING
THERE AFFECT US HERE?
ARE THE FAULTS CONNECTED AT ALL?
>> NO.
WE'RE TOO FAR AWAY.
WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE QUITE A FEW
STUDIES TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND
HOW AN EARTHQUAKE IN ONE AREA
CAN AFFECT OTHERS, AND IT CAN
AFFECT THE AREA THAT'S A FEW
TIMES THE LENGTH OF THE FAULT
THAT MOVED.
SO A 7.4, THE FAULT IS GOING TO
BE ABOUT 100 MILES LONG.
ALL OF TAIWAN NOW HAS A SOMEWHAT
INCREASED RISK.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE FOR A FEW
HUNDRED MILES AROUND THIS
LOCATION AN INCREASED RISK.
BUT NOT OVER HERE ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE OCEAN.
>> TSUNAMIS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT PERHAPS A WAVE,
A 9-FOOT WAVE.
WHAT COUNTRIES COULD OR WOULD BE
AFFECTED BY THAT?
>> THE 1 TO 3 METERS.
SO 9 FEET REALLY IS THE MAXIMUM
EXPECTED IS PREDICTED SOLELY FOR
TAIWAN.
SO THIS FAULT IS WHAT'S CALLED A
THRUST FAULT, WHICH MEANS ONE
SIDE MOVES UP AND OVER THE
OTHER.
IF THAT HAPPENS UNDER THE OCEAN,
THE WATER THAT WAS THERE ON TOP
OF IT GETS MOVED OUT OF THE WAY,
AND THAT'S WHAT CREATES A
TSUNAMI.
THE NORTHERN PART OF THIS FAULT
IS CLEARLY OFFSHORE, AND SO IT
LOOKS LIKE THERE IS GOING TO BE
A TSUNAMI GENERATED THERE OFF
THE NORTHEAST COAST OF TAIWAN.
BY THE TIME YOU GET TO JAPAN,
THE TSUNAMI PREDICTION IS FOR
LESS THAN 1 METER.
AND THE ONLY GOOD NEWS IS THAT
THIS AREA IS EXTREMELY
MOUNTAINOUS.
IT'S EXTREMELY STEEP.
SO THAT MEANS THAT ALMOST NOBODY
IS AT SEA LEVEL.
YOU IMMEDIATELY HAVE HUNDRED
ONE, 200-FOOT-HIGH CLIFFS RIGHT
THERE AT THE COASTLINE.
THE BAD SIDE OF THAT IS YOU'RE
MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO
LANDSLIDES.
AND I'VE ALREADY SEEN PICTURES
SUGGESTING THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL
LANDSLIDES ALONG THE COAST ROAD.
>> WELL, IT HAPPENED TWO HOURS
AGO OUR TIME, JUST BEFORE 5:00.
>> RIGHT.
>> WE HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH VIDEO
OUT OF THERE, THOUGH WE HAVE
SEEN PICTURES OF LANDSLIDES.
WE'RE GETTING REPORTS THAT
BUILDINGS COLLAPSED THERE.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE.
DO THEY HAVE EARTHQUAKE
STANDARDS SIMILAR TO OURS?
>> OH, VERY MUCH SO.
THEY DO HAVE TEN TIMES AS MANY
EARTHQUAKES AS WE DO.
SO THEY HAVE GREAT ENGINEERS.
THEY HAVE REALLY STRONG BUILDING
CODES.
LIKE ALL COUNTRIES, THERE IS
SOME PROBLEM WITH CORRUPTION AND
LACK OF ENFORCEMENT OF SOME OF
THE BUILDING CODES.
BUT IN GENERAL, THEY'RE VERY
STRONG.
THE ONLY COLLAPSING BUILDINGS I
HAVE SEEN ARE IN QUALIAN.
AND THE BULK GOES THROUGH
QUALIAN.
THEY MIGHT BE COLLAPSING, SOME
OF THEM MIGHT BE A PLACE WHERE
THE GROUND UNDERNEATH THE
BUILDING, ONE SIDE IS NOW UP TEN
FEET COMPARED TO THE OTHER SIDE.
NO BUILDING STANDS UP THROUGH
THAT.
AND I DO KNOW THAT ABOUT 20
YEARS AGO, THERE WAS THE
EARTHQUAKE THAT WENT THROUGH THE
CITY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE
ISLAND.
AND THE MAJORITY OF DAMAGED
BUILDINGS WERE ONES ACTUALLY
AFFECTED BY FAULT OFFSET,
WHEREAS IN CALIFORNIA WE MAY
ONLY SEE 5% BEING FAULT OFFSET
AND 90% BEING THE BUILDINGS
FAILING.
SO THEY HAVE VERY GOOD BUILDING
CODES.
BUT WHEN THE FAULT GOES THROUGH
THE BUILDING, THERE IS NOT MUCH
YOU CAN DO.
>> AND WHEN IT'S 7.4.
IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'VE
EXPERIENCED AROUND HERE.
>> RIGHT.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN -- THEY
CLEARLY GOT A LOT MORE SHAKING
IN QUALIAN.
BUT IN THE EARTHQUAKE 20 YEARS
AGO, SAME SORT OF THING.
A 7.5 RIGHT IN THE CITY.
AND VERY FEW BUILDINGS WERE
DIRECTLY DAMAGED.
IT TENDED FOB FAULT OFFSET.
THEY HAVE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB
OF CONSTRUCTION.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT
CAN'T BE PREVENTED.
AND FAULT OFFSET IS ONE OF THEM.
THE FAULT MOVES.
THAT'S WHAT CAUSES THE
EARTHQUAKE.
YOU DON'T STOP IT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
DR. LUCY JONES,
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