April 3 quake causes vertical ground displacement of 45.1 cm in Hualien

April 3 quake causes vertical ground displacement of 45.1 cm in Hualien

2024-04-11

Taiwan’s terrain was torn and moved in different directions after the devastating earthquake on April 3. According to government data, ground displacement was the worst in Hualien, which saw land moving up as much as 45.1 centimeters. Other parts of Taiwan saw smaller vertical shifts of 1 to 6 centimeters. Experts say that because the earthquake struck offshore, the greatest displacements lie undetected on the ocean floor.

Last Wednesday’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake not only damaged buildings and roads, but also deformed terrain across Taiwan.

The interior ministry’s National Land Surveying and Mapping Center analyzed data collected before and after the earthquake. The greatest vertical ground displacement was recorded at the Hualien Station, where Earth was pushed up 45.1 centimeters. The greatest horizontal displacement, measuring 22.2 centimeters, was also recorded in Hualien, at the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration Station.

Chen Wen-shan
NTU Department of Geosciences
Because the earthquake struck offshore, the biggest displacement actually occurred on the seabed. It’s just that we don’t have ways to monitor those changes. Historically, the biggest displacement ever recorded was caused by the Jiji earthquake on the Chelungpu fault. There were shifts of 5 to 10 meters.

The latest ground displacements broke no records, but they have altered Taiwan’s topography. Xincheng Station, located near the earthquake’s epicenter, recorded a horizontal shift of 8.6 centimeters and a vertical shift of 26 centimeters. At Fengbin Station, there was horizontal displacement of 4 centimeters and vertical displacement of 2.2 centimeters.

Kuo Kai-wen
Former Seismological Center head
Observations showed that the area affected by the changes was actually very large. It’s not like previous times when only a small stretch was affected. Shifts occurred over a large area, as if the Coastal Mountain Range had been pushed upward at its faults from the pressure.

According to government data, displacements weren’t limited to the East Coast. Northern monitoring stations saw shifts of 1 to 4 centimeters, while western stations saw shifts of 1 to 6 centimeters. Shifts of 1 to 2 centimeters were recorded in the south.

Chen Wen-shan
NTU Department of Geosciences
When it comes to changes of just a few dozen centimeters, they are not really perceptible to most people. This isn’t like how it was after the 1999 Jiji earthquake, which lifted the ground up by several meters. Back then you could certainly notice a difference of 1 or 2 meters outside your front door.

The geologist says that, although ground has shifted nationwide, the changes are likely not noticeable in everyday life.

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花蓮強震後"台灣地表位移" 花蓮被抬升45.1公分

2024-04-11

403花蓮強震，造成各地出現多起災情，根據內政部國土測繪中心的資料顯示，就連台灣的地表也出現位移，最大抬升量出現在花蓮站約45.1公分，水平最大位移量則出現在東管處約22.2公分。不過專家指出，由於這起地震的震央是在外海，因此最大位移量應該在海底，陸地上幾十公分的變動，生活上應該很難察覺。

規模7.2的403花蓮強震，除了在各地釀成災情，台灣的地表也出現位移。

內政部國土測繪中心，分析地震前後的數據發現，高程最大抬升量是在花蓮（HUAL）高達45.1公分，而水平最大位移量約22.2公分，則出現在東管處站（YENL）。

[[台大地質系教授陳文山]]
“因為地震是在外海，所以真正的最大位移量是在海底，那海底我們現在就偵測不到。有史以來(最大)大概是我們知道就是車籠埔集集地震那個，最大位移可以到10公尺、5公尺。”

即便不是有史以來最大位移，但靠近震央附近的花蓮新城，還是出現8.6公分的水平位移量、垂直也有抬升26公分，豐濱則是水平位移約4公分，高程抬升2.2公分。

[[前氣象局地震測報中心主任郭鎧紋]]
“這次觀測的結果，我們發現變動的範圍非常大，不是像之前只有小小的一段。看起來像是一大片，比較像是那個海岸山脈斷層整個往上抬升，擠壓往上抬升。”

而根據內政部國土測繪中心的數據，這次除了位移較大的東半部外，北部也有約1到4公分的位移量，西部1到6公分、南部1到2公分。

[[台大地質系教授陳文山]]
“只有幾十公分的變動來講，應該我們感覺不到，它不像921地震的時候地表拱起好幾公尺，你會看到我家門前怎麼會落差有一、兩公尺。”

即便民眾生活中感受並不明顯，但強震造成地表位移，還是引發關注。

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