Typhoon vibration

2009/06/11 Kortabitarte Egiguren, Irati - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Klima

US scientists and Taiwan discover that typhoons have the strength to cause small earthquakes in eastern Taiwan.

Scientists have studied small earthquakes in eastern Taiwan between 2002 and 2007. During this period there were 20 small earthquakes, and 11 have been identified with typhoons. What happens is that typhoons reduce atmospheric pressure and that this pressure change is enough to break a fault, at least in eastern Taiwan.

Earthquakes are often due to broken geological faults. In violent earthquakes, energy is released instantly and a small earthquake can last several hours, a day or a couple of days.

According to researchers, these small earthquakes can be a way to avoid the largest and most violent earthquakes. In fact, these small earthquakes act as a pressure release valve, releasing stress from failures, etc., thus avoiding major earthquakes. It is not yet clear whether a similar phenomenon is occurring in other parts of the world.

Image courtesy of: ANDÉN