Hong Kong is considered to be in a region of low to moderate seismic activity. There have not been any major earthquakes during this period. The largest recorded earthquake close to Hong Kong was a magnitude 6.0 event in Honghai Bay, 52 miles east of Hong Kong, in 1911. Since 1979, there have only been 82 locally felt tremors, on average 2 per year. The chances of a strong earthquake in Hong Kong are low but to mitigate damages, there is a "code of practice for structural use of concrete" in place. This code essentially ensures that structures will have the ductility to withstand deformation and have the durability to maintain structural integrity over time.
There have been no known active faults in Hong Kong. Although it doesn't sit right on a tectonic boundary, Hong Kong is no stranger to transforming faults. The seismic activity in the area is mainly a result of the interaction between the Eurasian and Philippine plates and the faults in the region are considered to have been most active from the Jurassic to Cretaceous periods, at this time strike-slip faults were most common. Above is a mapping of Hong Hong's major faults. Most of the fault lines run from northwest to southeast and from northeast to southwest. These major faults are what shapes the landscape of the region.
Sources:
https://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/education/gs/eng/hkg/chapter7.htm
https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/gts/equake/felt_intro1.htm
This is very interesting information! Do you know if they have any type of drills to prepare for earthquakes in the country (like we do)?
ReplyDeleteHong Kong and Spain are so different in the aspect of earthquakes. Spain has had various of big earthquakes and small earthquakes are currently happening. I see that Hong Kong is very low on earthquakes. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHey Tyson! The difference in the quantity and scale of earthquakes compared to Japan is super intriguing! Also the fact that Hong Kong doesn't sit on a tectonic boundary is interesting, do you think people in Hong Kong spend time practicing/raising awareness for natural disasters even though they don't sit right on a boundary? Thank you for your post!
ReplyDeleteHey Tyson, One similarity Honk Kong has to Singapore is the low amount of earthquakes but Singapore has never recorded one. They still reenforce
ReplyDeletetheir buildings if surrounding countries cause enough energy to reach Singapore.