Seismic activity on the Chinese mainland will remain at an average level despite a recent spate of disastrous earthquakes worldwide, the China Earthquake Administration said.
So far this year, the mainland has been hit with four earthquakes of at least magnitude 5, which is strong enough to cause considerable damage.
In addition, a magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the border area between China and Russia on Feb 18.
These activities show a normal release of energy, and no destructive earthquake will occur on the mainland for a while, the Beijing Times quoted an unidentified expert of the administration as saying on Tuesday.
China, one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, experiences an average 145 magnitude-4 earthquakes on the mainland annually.
The administration also said there were about 20 magnitude-5 earthquakes and three or four magnitude-6 earthquakes a year.
Earthquakes of magnitude 7, which are capable of causing widespread heavy damage, occur about twice every three years, according to data provided by the administration.
Experts also rejected the idea that an upswing of mega-earthquakes in the rest of the world would spill over into the mainland.
Judging from either frequency or magnitude, the world has entered a period of active earthquakes, according to seismic data collected since 1900, Sun Shikuang, chief forecaster with China Earthquake Networks Center, told the Beijing-based China Youth Daily on Tuesday.
In January, a magnitude-7.3 earthquake hit Haiti, killing more than 200,000 people. A magnitude-8.8 earthquake on Feb 27 in Chile left roughly 800 dead. Earlier this month, two earthquakes with magnitudes above six rocked Turkey and the island of Taiwan.
But even if the upward trend continues, a majority of the coming earthquakes will take place on the Pacific Rim, the area around the edge of the Pacific Ocean, according to a statement published by the earthquake administration.
China's mainland is not located on the rim.
However, the recent spate of destructive earthquakes worldwide has pushed Chinese experts to watch the Earth's movements more closely.
中国地震局表示，尽管近期世界各地频频发生强震，但我国大陆地震活动处于平均地震活动水平。
2010年以来，我国大陆共发生4次5级以上的地震，如此强烈的地震已造成相当大的损失。
此外，2月18日中、俄边界发生6.4级地震。
周二，《京华时报》援引地震局某专家的话说，这些地壳活动是一种正常的能量释放，大陆暂时不会发生破坏性地震。
作为世界上地震多发国家之一，中国大陆地区每年平均发生145次4级地震。
地震局还补充到，每年中国大陆还会发生20次5级地震以及3~4次6级地震。
根据地震局所提供的数据显示，中国大陆平均每三年会发生两次7级地震，这一震级的地震足以造成大面积、严重的损坏。
对于“世界其他地区强震发生次数增加，将会波及到大陆”这一说法，有关专家予以否认。
中国地震台网中心首席预报员孙士軦，在接受中国青年报采访时表示，“综合1900年以来的地震数据，无论从地震频率还是地震强度上看，都可以说现在全球进入了地震多发期。”
今年一月，海地发生7.3级地震，死亡人数超过20万人。2月27日，智利发生8.8级地震，约有800人死亡。本月的早些时候，土耳其及中国台湾分别发生6级以上地震。
国家地震局发表声明称，即使强震较多的现象可能还会持续，但大多数地震将发生在环太平洋地震带。
中国大陆并不处于这一地震多发区域。
但鉴于近期世界各地强震频发，中国地震专家们已开始更密切地关注地壳运动。 |
发表于 2010-3-17 14:55:56
发表于 2010-3-17 15:14:10
