Taipei was shaken by a magnitude 3.1 earthquake at 9:08 Friday morning. It was a shallow quake, with a depth of just 4.8 kilometers. Its intensity reached a 3 out of 7 in Yangmingshan and Tamsui, and 2 in the north coast and Keelung. The Central Weather Bureau says the temblor was most likely triggered by volcanic activity in the Datun Volcano Group just north of Taipei. Let’s hear from a seismologist.
Chen Da-yi
CWB seismologist
The earthquake is linked to activity at Datun Volcano Group. The magma reservoir under the volcano contains liquid, which enters surrounding rock formations. That damages the balance of some structures, causing movements that give rise to earthquakes. Over the past 20 years, 16 such earthquakes have happened at that location. The most recent one was in 2021.
According to the CWB, the earthquake had a similar location to other previously recorded quakes, and it was just part of normal seismic activity in the area. Seismologists will keep monitoring the situation to see if more quakes follow. If so, they’ll discuss the matter with experts to devise measures that can be taken.
