1916-17 Nantou earthquakes
Encyclopedia
The 1916–17 Nantou earthquakes were a series of earthquakes which affected central Taiwan
in 1916 and 1917, causing heavy damage in sparsely populated Nantou County
and claiming 71 lives. The strongest quake registered at 6.8 ML
and besides the loss of life caused widespread damage to agricultural and forestry industries in central Taiwan.
Seismometers were installed in the area in 1898 shortly after the Japanese took control of Taiwan, but there was relatively little seismic activity in Nantou between then and 1916.
, there were 70 or 71 killed by the quakes, while 98 people were seriously injured and 208 lightly injured. There were 1,212 dwellings completely destroyed, while a further 1,821 dwellings were partially destroyed. The assessed cost of damage for just the August 28 quake was ¥
130,393. At the time the camphor
industry was a major contributor to the Taiwanese economy, and the forested mountains of Nantou were where the majority of camphor trees were felled and processed. The earthquake destroyed 98 camphor extraction facilities, seriously affecting the local economy.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in 1916 and 1917, causing heavy damage in sparsely populated Nantou County
Nantou County
Nantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its name derives from the Hoanya Taiwanese aboriginal word Ramtau. Nantou County is officially administered as a county of Taiwan....
and claiming 71 lives. The strongest quake registered at 6.8 ML
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....
and besides the loss of life caused widespread damage to agricultural and forestry industries in central Taiwan.
Technical data
The series consisted of four main damaging quakes and dozens of smaller quakes which were not so damaging. The first major quake, on August 28, 1916, was the strongest at magnitude 6.8, but the hypocentre was relatively deep in the earth's crust. The most deadly quake in the series came on January 5 of the following year, registering at 6.2 on the Richter scale with a shallow hypocentre, killing 54 people.Seismometers were installed in the area in 1898 shortly after the Japanese took control of Taiwan, but there was relatively little seismic activity in Nantou between then and 1916.
| Date (UTC+8) |
Time (UTC+8) |
Latitude Latitude In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a... (°N) |
Longitude Longitude Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda .... (°E) |
Depth (km) |
Magnitude (ML） |
Dead | Houses destroyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 28, 1916 | 15:27 | 24.0 | 121.0 | 45 | 6.8 | 16 | 614 |
| November 15, 1916 | 06:31 | 24.1 | 120.9 | 3 | 6.2 | 1 | 97 |
| January 5, 1917 | 00:55 | 24.0 | 121.0 | shallow | 6.2 | 54 | 130 |
| January 7, 1917 | 02:08 | 23.9 | 120.9 | shallow | 5.5 | 187 | |
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...
, there were 70 or 71 killed by the quakes, while 98 people were seriously injured and 208 lightly injured. There were 1,212 dwellings completely destroyed, while a further 1,821 dwellings were partially destroyed. The assessed cost of damage for just the August 28 quake was ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
130,393. At the time the camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
industry was a major contributor to the Taiwanese economy, and the forested mountains of Nantou were where the majority of camphor trees were felled and processed. The earthquake destroyed 98 camphor extraction facilities, seriously affecting the local economy.