Burst
Written by: Zhu Yashuang, Lu Jiayu, and Huang Diwen
2019-12-05 17:02
Last updated: 2019-12-05 17:02At about 12.22 this afternoon, a magnitude-1.4 earthquake occurred near Cheung Chau. The epicenter was located about 16 kilometers southwest of the Hong Kong Observatory. The Observatory indicated that more than ten citizens had received reports. Preliminary analysis showed that the intensity of the earthquake in Hong Kong was the revised magnitude of the earthquake intensity in Mecca. The third (three) degree of the table, that is, the feeling in the room, is similar to the vibration of a small truck. Some residents said that they felt a vibration of about 2 to 3 seconds, and some residents said that they heard a "bang", and felt that large vehicles such as trucks or fire trucks were passing by.
According to the Observatory, this is the eighth epicenter in Hong Kong since 1979. The last one was near the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir five years ago, with a magnitude of 1.8.
Mr. Wang, a resident of Changzhou, said that at the time of the incident, he felt a vibration of about 2 to 3 seconds, and the feeling was also quite obvious. "It seems like a large truck is passing, because if there is a large fire truck passing by, there will be an earthquake." At that time, he was standing on a wooden ladder to decorate the unit, and due to the noise in the room, he did not hear a special sound. However, he pointed out that he asked the neighbours later that many neighbours said that they heard a "bang" before the shock, and the neighbour also said that the shock was similar to a truck passing by. Mr. Wang said that this is the most obvious earthquake he has ever felt. Another Changzhou resident, Mr. Mo, said that he was at home during the earthquake. "I felt the earthquake for a second. I heard a trembling sound. I thought there was a project nearby." He pointed out that he knew afterwards that it was an earthquake and was not surprised or scared.
District Councillor-Designate: Have experienced earthquakes in Cheung Chau in the past
Mr. Leung Kwok-ho, a district council candidate for Cheung Chau, said that at the time, he had just moved the neighbourhood. He did not feel the earthquake, but afterwards he received notices from many friends and neighbours, and he heard a snoring sound and a shock. Learn what's going on the street. Leung Kwok-ho pointed out that because public housing on both the north and south sides of Cheung Chau has the same feelings among residents, I believe the shock should be exaggerated. Liang also pointed out that residents are very concerned about the incident, but they are not too worried because Hong Kong is not located in the earthquake zone, and it is just a shock, and it has not affected residents' lives. Liang Guohao also pointed out that he had also experienced earthquakes in Changzhou in the past. In his impression, an earthquake occurred in Guangdong area two or three years ago. At that time, he felt a few vibrations at a basketball court in Changzhou.
The Eighth Local Earthquake
The Observatory website shows that the Hong Kong Observatory has recorded sensible earthquakes in Hong Kong since 1905. In the past, there were a total of 185 sensible earthquakes. However, since the Hong Kong Short-period Seismic Network was put into operation in 1979, 76 sensible earthquakes have been recorded in the past. About 2 times, there were 7 earthquakes with the epicenter located in Hong Kong, including Mai Po (1 time) in 1983, 1982 (2 times) and 1995 (3 times) in the waters east of Lantau Island, and 2014 (1 Times) In the vicinity of the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, the earthquakes caused by these domestic earthquakes are all mild and the intensity is below V (5) degrees. Today, the epicenter is near the Cheung Chau epicenter for the 8th time. The eight medium-strength earthquakes in the eastern part of Lantau in May 1995 reached a magnitude of 3.1.
1918 Shantou earthquake damages buildings in Hong Kong
The sentimental earthquake in Hong Kong has never caused any casualties. Most of the earthquakes were below V (five) degrees in the "Revised McGale Earthquake Intensity Scale". The highest record was in 1918 from Shantou, which was more than 300 kilometers from Hong Kong. VI to VII (six to seven) degrees caused by a nearby earthquake. The 1918 earthquake caused minor damage to the walls of a few buildings in Hong Kong, making it the only earthquake ever to cause damage in Hong Kong. A strong earthquake in Hong Kong in recent years occurred in 1994 with an intensity of V to VI (five to six) degrees. The epicenter was located in the southern part of the Taiwan Strait.
Hong Kong Observatory Cheung Chau