Online, posts such as "Recently, all of Asia seems to be unstable" and "Overseas travel should be postponed for the time being" are continuing.
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October 'Emergency'... Asia Shakes and Cracks Across the Region
The Circum-Pacific seismic belt, also known as the "Ring of Fire," is showing alarming signs.
A series of earthquakes with magnitudes above 5 have struck major regions in Asia, including the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan,
spreading anxiety among travelers preparing for upcoming trips.
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Seismic Dominoes Across Asia... Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan Tremble
On the 1st, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the waters near central Cebu in the Philippines, causing a McDonald's building in the city of Bogo on Cebu Island to collapse. The earthquake destroyed residential areas in Bogo and nearby regions, resulting in at least 31 deaths and over 140 injuries. /AP Yonhap News
원본보기 아이콘Starting with a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northeast of Cebu, Philippines, on the 1st,
other countries along the Ring of Fire, such as Kamchatka in Russia (6.1) and Papua New Guinea (6.6), have also experienced strong tremors.
These countries, all located within the Circum-Pacific seismic belt, have been shaken one after another.
On the 8th, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred south-southwest of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan,
and on the same day, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck offshore from Hualien in eastern Taiwan.
On the 10th, a massive magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit the eastern coast of Mindanao, Philippines,
triggering a tsunami warning and causing reported damage to roads and communication networks.
Subsequently, in the early morning of the 13th, another magnitude 5.8 earthquake was observed near Cebu.
The so-called "Ring of Fire," known as the Circum-Pacific volcanic belt. Baekdu Mountain and the Japanese volcanic belt are connected underwater. Wikipedia
원본보기 아이콘
The left side shows the earthquake occurrence area in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, and the right side shows the earthquake occurrence area in Hualien County, Taiwan. / Korea Meteorological Administration
원본보기 아이콘All of these locations are where the Pacific Plate, Philippine Plate, and Indo-Australian Plate converge,
meaning they are part of the Circum-Pacific orogenic belt, where more than 90% of the world's earthquakes occur.
In this region, tectonic stress steadily accumulates due to plate movement,
and when this energy is released all at once, it leads to major earthquakes.
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"Long-term Preparedness Needed in Korea and Surrounding Regions"
Experts believe these recent earthquakes are not a chain reaction along a single fault,
but rather the result of accumulated stress throughout the Ring of Fire being released around the same time.
"Although these earthquakes occurred independently at different plate boundaries,
recently, widespread changes in stress distribution have been observed throughout the Ring of Fire."
- United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Experts warn, "Crustal activity is generally increasing across the Asia-Pacific region,"
"and long-term preparedness is necessary in Korea and neighboring areas as well."
Especially after a magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred in southern Japan on the 8th, concerns are spreading among those planning to travel to Japan that "a larger earthquake might occur soon."
On domestic travel communities, posts like "I'm considering canceling my trip to Japan" are increasing, spreading anxiety.
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Reporter Seo Jiyeong zo2zo2zo2@asiae.co.kr
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Edit Oh Hyunyoung hyun05@asiae.co.kr
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