The sudden shaking of the ground that occurs when masses of rock change position below Earth’s surface is called an earthquake. The shifting masses send out shock waves that may be powerful enough to alter the surface, thrusting up cliffs and opening great cracks in the ground.
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"Earthquake." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 2 Sep. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/274104>.
Taiwan is rocked by earthquakes on a regular basis, even though you may not feel them! This is because Taiwan is located in a seismically active zone, on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and at the western edge of the Philippine Sea Plate. According to the Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan experiences approximately 2,200 earthquakes a year, of which roughly 214 can be felt.
What is the Ring of Fire?
A seismically active belt of volcanoes and tectonic plate roughly surrounds the Pacific Ocean. Because the volcanoes frequently erupt in fiery explosions, the belt is known as the Ring of Fire. Many earthquakes occur in the region as well. For more information on the Ring of Fire (seismic belt), click on the link in the Weblinks box.
