10-April-2024-Editorial

MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE HITS TAIWAN 

Taiwan recently experienced a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter Scale, marking it as one of the most significant seismic events in the past 25 years.  

The earthquake’s impact was felt far beyond Taiwan, with Japan issuing a tsunami alert for the Ryukyu chain of islands. 

Causes of Earthquakes in Taiwan 

Location on the Pacific Ring of Fire: 

• Taiwan is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur. 
• This area is vulnerable due to interactions between two tectonic plates: the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. 
• Tension builds up between these plates, leading to sudden releases in the form of earthquakes. 

Mountainous Landscape: 

• Taiwan’s mountainous terrain can intensify ground shaking during earthquakes. 
• This intensification can result in landslides, causing further destruction and posing risks to infrastructure and lives. 
• Landslides near the epicenter caused debris to fall onto tunnels and highways, resulting in casualties. 

About Pacific Ring of Fire 

The Pacific Ring of Fire, also known as the Pacific rim or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is an area characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. 

• Approximately 75% of the world’s volcanoes and 90% of earthquakes are located here. 

Geographical Stretch: 

• Extends approximately 40,000 kilometres, intersecting boundaries of multiple tectonic plates including the Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, American, and Philippine Plates. 

• It runs along the western coasts of North and South America, crossing the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, and extending down the eastern coast of Asia, passing New Zealand and reaching the northern coast of Antarctica. 

Countries Affected: 

• The Ring of Fire encompasses numerous countries, including Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, the United States, Chile, Canada, Guatemala, Russia, Peru, Solomon Islands, Mexico, and Antarctica. 

Volcanic Activity and Tectonic Movement 

Subduction Zones: 

• Tectonic plates moving towards each other create subduction zones where one plate is pushed beneath another. 
• This slow process (one or two inches per year) causes rocks to melt, forming magma that rises to the Earth’s surface, leading to volcanic eruptions. 

Recent Research Findings: 

• The Pacific Plate, responsible for much of the tectonic activity in the Ring of Fire, is cooling off. 
• This cooling process may change plate boundary dynamics, affecting subduction zones and mountain-building. 
• Younger parts of the Pacific Plate (around 2 million years old) are cooling and contracting faster than older sections (around 100 million years old). 
• Increased stress along plate boundaries due to cooling could lead to more frequent and stronger earthquakes. 
• The most active regions, with the youngest parts of the plate, are in the northern and western sections of the Ring of Fire. 

Conclusion 

The recent earthquake in Taiwan underscores the seismic risks associated with its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.  

Understanding the causes and characteristics of this region is crucial for disaster preparedness and risk mitigation.  

Further research and monitoring are essential to anticipate and respond to the dynamic nature of tectonic activities in this vulnerable zone.