Posted on 07/03/2002 11:25:34 AM PDT by Asmodeus
An Internet message warning Taipei residents to prepare for a massive earthquake between today and Monday should be ignored, seismologists at the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
The e-mail, which has been making the rounds since last month, says the quake could cause more than 50,000 casualties and was predicted by a "famous fortune-teller."
The message warns that the earthquake, exceeding 7 on the Richter scale, will strike Taipei during the daytime between today and July 8.
"No country in the world is capable of accurately predicting earthquakes," said Hsiao Nai-chi (¿½¤D¸R), an official at the bureau's seismology center.
"Besides, the chances of such a powerful quake striking the Taipei Basin are very small."
The e-mail also claimed that officials from the weather bureau said past records indicate Taiwan has experienced a "major earthquake" once every 120 years -- and the last big temblor was in 1882.
But the weather bureau said yesterday there is no record of an earthquake affecting Taipei in 1882. In fact, Taiwan's seismological records are less than 120 years old.
Hsiao said the expanding motion of the Taipei Basin and its soft, thick sedimentary structure served to protect the city by hampering the accumulation of energy necessary to initiate powerful earthquakes.
Hsiao also said if Taipei residents fear earthquakes, they should be wary of those occurring in the Hualien area, as faults in the region are more active and close to Taipei Basin.
According to local media reports, the e-mail was circulated worldwide and some local residents had been warned about the temblor by their relatives living abroad.
Others have already decided to travel to other parts of the island during the period, hoping to escape the "catastrophe."
The Central Weather Bureau has also placed a notice on its Web site, saying there's no scientific basis for the prediction.
Under the Weather Law, those caught spreading false alarms or information regarding reports on weather, earthquakes, volcanos or seaquakes could face a fine up to NT$50,000.
Since the devastating 921 earthquake three years ago -- which registered 7.3 on the Richter scale and claimed nearly 2,400 lives -- earthquake predictions posted on the Internet from fortune-tellers, astrologers or "sages" claiming to foresee signs in ancient canons have proliferated.
After the 921 earthquake, Taiwan experienced two other major quakes on July 16, 2000 and March 31 this year, measuring 7.0 and 6.8 on the Richter scale respectively.
Is that a new word? LOL!!!!!!!!
It's a network used to predict structural damage caused when Monica Lewinsky walks down the street.
Furthermore I predict that everyone reading this post will suffer a serious injury unless they do this:
1. Put $10,000 in small bills in a paper sack.
2. Drop the paper sack in the trashcan in the Men's Room of the ground floor of Grand Central Station in Los Angeles.
3. Walk away without looking back.
4. Don't call the police.
Do the above and your wife and children will be returned.
I'm sure you could find a world map on the Internetet.
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