# Taiwan earthquake was

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-earthquake-was/672883>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 1, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-earthquake-was/672883 "2013-11-01T23:02:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-earthquake-was/672883/1 "2013-11-01T23:02:53Z")

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Here’s one source:

> [@](#):
>
> The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 8:02 p.m. and measured magnitude 6.3. It was centered in a remote mountainous area 45 kilometers (28 miles) south-southwest of the coastal city of Hualian at a depth of just 12 kilometers (7.5 miles), it said.
> 
> In the capital, Taipei, about 150 kilometers (95 miles) from the epicenter, buildings swayed for more than 10 seconds and startled residents ducked for cover.

I live not too far from there. I was teaching class and had just started when the earthquake struck. There was relatively mild compared to some of the ones in Tokyo, and certainly much more so than the Big One on March 11, 2011 which caused the tsunami.

It was longer than many earthquakes. Ten seconds is actually a lengthy time for the building you are in to be shaking.

I pointed out to the students how much the movement was very much horizontal with little vertical components. We were being moved from side to side, but no up and down.

I told them to go and check what the distance from us and the depth of the quake, guessing that it was close to the surface. It looks like I was right.