2006 Hengchun earthquakes

The 2006 Hengchun earthquake happened on Tuesday December 26, 2006 at 12:25 UTC (20:25 local time) near Taiwan. On the surface the center of the earthquake was about 22.8 km west southwest of Hengchun, Pingtung County, Taiwan. The center of the earthquake underground was 21.9 km deep in the Luzon Strait (21.89°N 120.56°E / 21.89; 120.56).

2006 Hengchun earthquakes
2006 Hengchun earthquakes is located in Taiwan
2006 Hengchun earthquakes
UTC timeDoublet earthquake:    
 A: 2006-12-26 12:26:21
 B: 2006-12-26 12:34:15
ISC event 
 A: 11123554
 B: 11123555
USGS-ANSS 
 A: ComCat
 B: ComCat
Local dateDecember 26, 2006 (2006-12-26)
Local time 
 A: 20:26
 B: 20:34
Magnitude 
 A: 7.0 Mw
 B: 6.9 Mw 
Depth10 km (6.2 mi)
Epicenter21.82°N 120.61°E / 21.82; 120.61
Areas affectedTaiwan
TsunamiYes
Aftershocks5.5 mb Dec 26 at 12:40
5.6 Mw  Dec 27 at 2:30
Casualties2 dead; 42 injured

Reports of the strength of the quake do not all agree. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau reported 7.0 ML [1] The United States Geological Survey estimated the quake to be 7.1 Mw [2] The Hong Kong Observatory [3] and the Japan Meteorological Agency [4] said 7.2 Mw. Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that it was the strongest earthquake to hit Hengchun in one hundred years.[5] The earthquake hurt and killed many people and damaged many buildings. It also damaged several undersea cables. The broken cables were a problem for telecommunication services in parts of Asia.

The date of the earthquake was unusual. The earthquake happened exactly two years after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that caused terrible damage to the coastal communities across Southeast and South Asia. It was also exactly three years after the 2003 earthquake that almost destroyed the southern Iranian city of Bam.

Tsunami warning

Taiwan

This earthquake was the first time Taiwan detected a tsunami. The water level changed only 25 cm and did not damage anything.[6]

Warning from agencies in other areas

An early tsunami warning came from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). They reported that the earthquake caused a 1-meter tsunami. It was moving towards the east coast of the Philippines. The Hong Kong Observatory also reported a tsunami that would probably not affect Hong Kong.[7]

References
  1. Earthquake Report #95106 Archived 2011-10-08 at the Wayback Machine, Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan, 2010-04-14
  2. USGS Earthquake Hazards Program » Magnitude 7.1 - TAIWAN REGION Archived 2010-01-27 at the Wayback Machine, USGS, 2006-12-26
  3. List of locally felt earth tremors since 1979 Archived 2007-04-20 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Observatory
  4. 台湾付近震度分布図 Archived 2012-02-10 at the Wayback Machine, Japan Meteorological Agency, 2006-12-26 (in Japanese)
  5. 2 KILLED IN STRONGEST EARTHQUAKE IN HENGCHUN IN 100 YEARS Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Central News Agency, Taiwan, 2006-12-27
  6. 從恆春地震看國內建築防震問題 Archived 2007-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, 新浪新聞中心|中廣新聞網, 2006-12-28 (in Chinese)
  7. Tsunami Information and Warning Archived 2011-05-24 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Observatory

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