1959 Hengchun earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1959 Hengchun earthquake was a magnitude
7.1 earthquake
which struck the southern tip of Taiwan on August 15, 1959. It was the tenth deadliest earthquake in twentieth century Taiwan, killing 16 or 17 people.
4–5 metres high resulting from the quake hit both the southeastern and southwestern coasts of Hengchun
. The earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan and also in the Penghu islands off Taiwan's western coast.
the casualties and damage were as follows:
Due to Hengchun's exposed position on the southern tip of Taiwan, residents frequently built heavy houses of stone to counter both the effects of typhoons and the seasonal northwesterly monsoon
winds. These structures effectively resisted the effects of wind, but fared poorly in earthquakes, collapsing and trapping the occupants.
Fortunately the timing of the quake, late afternoon, meant that many people were outdoors when it struck, lessening casualties from building collapse. The estimated cost of the damage (in 1959 New Taiwan Dollars) was NT$24,111,920 for private housing, and NT$6,127,000 for damaged or collapsed school buildings, giving a total of just over NT$30m.
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
7.1 earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
which struck the southern tip of Taiwan on August 15, 1959. It was the tenth deadliest earthquake in twentieth century Taiwan, killing 16 or 17 people.
Technical details
The earthquake occurred at 16:57 CST on Saturday August 15, 1959, with an epicentre 50 kilometres (31 mi) east-southeast of Oluanpi, the southern tip of the island of Taiwan. The tremor measured 7.1 on the Richter scale and had a focal depth of 20 kilometres (12 mi). A tsunamiTsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
4–5 metres high resulting from the quake hit both the southeastern and southwestern coasts of Hengchun
Hengchun
Hengchun of Pingtung County is the southernmost township in Taiwan. Hengchun is also the only urban township in the southern part of Pingtung County. Hengchun has a land area of 136.7630 square kilometers and has a population of 31,123 as of August 2009....
. The earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan and also in the Penghu islands off Taiwan's western coast.
Damage
According to Taiwan's Central Weather BureauCentral Weather Bureau
The Central Weather Bureau is the government meteorological research and forecasting institution of the Republic of China . In addition to meteorology, the Central Weather Bureau also makes astronomical observations, reports on sea conditions, and conducts research into seismology and provides...
the casualties and damage were as follows:
- 17 dead
- 33 seriously injured
- 35 lightly injured
- 1,214 dwellings completely destroyed
- 1,375 dwellings partially destroyed
Due to Hengchun's exposed position on the southern tip of Taiwan, residents frequently built heavy houses of stone to counter both the effects of typhoons and the seasonal northwesterly monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
winds. These structures effectively resisted the effects of wind, but fared poorly in earthquakes, collapsing and trapping the occupants.
Fortunately the timing of the quake, late afternoon, meant that many people were outdoors when it struck, lessening casualties from building collapse. The estimated cost of the damage (in 1959 New Taiwan Dollars) was NT$24,111,920 for private housing, and NT$6,127,000 for damaged or collapsed school buildings, giving a total of just over NT$30m.