I just experienced my second earthquake in Taiwan at 11:56 PM today. The rating on the charts say that the earthquake is 6.1. Just two days ago, I sat through my first earthquake. I've been staying in a house that is on the 15th floor, so you can totally feel the whole building moving. It feels like a swaying motion.
Even though this Earthquake is considered pretty large, we are lucky that the plates are not directly underneath us. If it were, I'm pretty sure we would see more than just the walls moving.
Earthquakes are quite common in Taiwan. Earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates moving. It is more common to experience earthquakes where there are volcanic mountains. I am currently staying in Taipei. My family lives only 15 minutes away from a volcanic mountain, called Datun Mountain. The volcano is still alive and smoking.
We are lucky, that this earthquake was not caused by the volcanic mountain. This earthquake was caused by the tectonic plates moving in the ocean, which is a little further away from Taipei. They are unsure of the effects this earthquake will have on the activities of the active volcano.
This was such an unusual experience to be a part of, and I'm glad everyone in Taiwan is safe... although I just learned of an old building crashing down. No one was harmed. If you would like to see the building that fell, you can check it out here. Sorry it's on FB!
Feel free to share below on unusual situations you have been in.
(edit: Since this posting, I've experienced 2 more tremors... wow!)
Translated by my cousin in Chinese!
剛剛，也就是在11:56的時候，我的手機顯示了地震警示6.1級。兩天前，我才剛剛經歷了生平第一次的地震。那個時候我剛好在15樓的親戚家裡，所以能夠完全感受到地震的搖晃。
既使，6.1級的地震被視為非常大的地震，我們還是必須要慶幸這樣的地震只是經由海底的版塊位移所引起的，而且板塊並非就在台北市底下，否則恐怕會有嚴重的災情。
地震在台灣是很平常的一件事，切往往是經由板塊位移所造成的。然而在台北，有時候的地震，恐怕可能是由大屯火山群所造成的，我現在所住的親戚家就位於大屯火山群不到15分鐘的距離。大屯火山群，依舊為活火山，一切只是沈睡中。
因此我們必須要非常的慶幸，這幾次的地震不是由火山所造成的，而是由海底板塊推擠所造成的，震央離台北市也有一段距離。然而，雖然地震並沒有造成任何傷亡，但是，專家們還是不確定，這樣的地震會不會影響台北市大屯火山群。
總之，這樣特別的經驗也成了這段旅成的有趣經驗，也很慶幸除了我以外，所有的台灣人能夠安全度過。我期望在跟各位分享這份特別的經艷的同時，各位若是有類似或其他特別的經驗，也可以在我的blog的底下做留言。謝謝。
Love,
Karen
WHOA!
How exciting is your life?!?
Glad you're okay Karen and didn't have to yoga out of any tight spots! Thanks for keeping us all informed, you're easily my favourite investigative journalist in Taiwan right now.
update!!! I just felt it shake again!!! WOW!!!!
Hey, I don't want more jokes please. Kindly get yourself and family out of there. I don't need an investigative journalist in you as @aussieninja will put it. I prefer your explorative journalism.
Thanks for your anticipated cooperation. 🙈
Have to agree with @emjoe on this one! Karen, if you have the wherewithal to leave, please consider leaving! As much as @aussieninja's enjoys your "investigative journalism", he does not want you there! Stay safe!
Whattttt!!!!!!!! Do you need to be there? If you are staying there for any reason, it must be something more important than your life! Please take care of yourself and make wise moves for you and your loved ones. Meanwhile, we can pray!
AWWWW! heheh! :) I guess that would come in handy... all that flexibility can be used to get out of tight spots! :P
Coming to you live! :)
@aussieninja I didn't know Karen was an investigative journalist in Taiwan until your post. Thanks for the info and I am sure Karen thanks you for your support!
Glad you guys are safe!!
thank you Paola! :)
So glad no life was lost.
same here! :)
i dont understand your language...but love to reed your post...and i think its a great post...
Glad you're safe and nothing serious happened. Must be scary to be in a 15th floor building while it shakeed.
It wasn't too bad. It was just so interesting to see the walls move.
Well it's the most scariest thing one can come across.may God protect all from that horrific show.
I once experience earthquake,when I was 6 or 7.
I remember people come out their houses screaming and shouting.the horrid noise it makes results in creating horrible situations.
Karen, your post was an eye-opener for me! I had no idea that Taiwan experienced earthquakes and I definitely didn't know they were happening in real time, right now! I am relieved and happy that you and millions are alright. From your post I also learned that there is an active volcano which might or might not be affected vy the earthquakes! Wow! Prayers and good thoughts are coming to your area! Thank you for taking the time to post to the Steemit community. My minnow support is coming your way with a resteem - or I think that is how it works and I am "following"! Take care of yourself and keep us updated. God bless!
Dear @karensuestudios, 23 hours ago I commented on your earthquake-in-Taiwan story.
I just saw on the news, a collapsed office building because of an earthquake in Taiwan! Is this ANOTHER earthquake or the same? My stomach lurched, remembering your post! I know your friends here are all concerned - @aussieninja, @emjoe!
The report said FOUR people died and over 200 people were hurt.
Please make contact as soon as you can. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Tons of caring prayers and thoughts coming your way!
Here are some pics I shot off the CBC's The National, Tuesday, Feb 6, 2018.
I know da so horrible :( where I was staying everyone is safe... people near the center had buildings falling. :(
So glad you are ok, Karen!
Other than I look at Earthquake everyday here are some other interesting facts about Earthquakes.
Here is the mind-blowing part of how much energy the very biggest earthquakes release.
600 million times the power of the Hiroshima bomb, this is truly humbling.
https://www.quora.com/How-many-Tsar-bombs-would-it-take-to-equal-a-magnitude-9-earthquake
I did learn a lot from this insights. I just wish no more (after Fukushima earthquake) or no country would be able to experience a more than 8.6 magnitude earthquake or else people from that place would perish.
Earthquake expert ❤️😝
stay safe! bless!!
Glad to hear you're safe, Karen. Just saw the building collapse, pretty scary.
There was a 6.4 aftershock. I'm glad to know you're okay. How far are you from the epicenter?
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us1000chhc#executive
Be safe always...I pray that if there may be earthquakes it has to be in a smaller magnitude.
I'm glad to hear that nothing happened to you... Earthquakes can be quite scary sometimes
Be sure to review emergency procedures in case of earthquake....
Stay safe Karen.
Stay safe! Earthquakes are such a weird thing to be in. In September 2015, I was in 8.3 magnitude earthquake in Concon, Chile. I'm from Finland and I was traveling there at the time.
Chile is a real hotspot for earthquakes and such strong earthquakes are actually pretty common there. This one came early evening when it started to become dark. It feels like the whole Earth is wobbling under you.
There's not a lot of places to go. A lot of people lost their homes, many of them poor, likely not able to rebuild at least not for a long time. I will never forget that night. The fact that I barely can communicate in Spanish made it extra weird for me.
Keep us posted, Karen! Hopefully the earthquake didn't disturb that volcano too much and hope it stays calm. Take care and stay safe.
Aww that’s so sad. I’m really glad my family is safe. Praying for all the others.