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New seismograph station enhances earthquake monitoring capability

18 February 2010

The opening of the Po Shan Seismograph Station today (February 18) will enhance the Hong Kong Observatory's capability in monitoring earthquakes.

The station is located inside a drainage tunnel on Po Shan Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Island, about 300 metres deep in the mountain. Far from city traffic and enjoying stable pressure, temperature and humidity, the site is ideal for a seismograph station.

The Po Shan Seismograph Station is equipped with a broadband seismometer and a strong motion accelerometer. The broadband seismometer is capable of detecting earthquakes thousands of kilometres away. The waveform data recorded is disseminated through the Incorporated Research Institutions of Seismology (IRIS) real-time, enabling earthquake and tsunami monitoring centres worldwide to determine more timely and accurately the parameters of earthquakes in the vicinity of South China Sea.

The seismic data processing system installed at the station can also collect and make use of the data recorded by seismometers around the world to compute earthquake parameters (origin time, location of epicentre, focal depth and magnitude). At the same time, it can derive fault plane solution which, together with computer models, will be useful for estimating the arrival time and height of tsunamis reaching Hong Kong.

The strong motion accelerometer in the station is capable of recording peak ground accelerations in severe earthquakes, which will help evaluate the seismic hazard affecting Hong Kong.

Besides the Po Shan Seismograph Station, the Observatory operates a short-period seismographic network that comprises eight stations for monitoring earthquake activities in the vicinity of Hong Kong. These stations are located at Cape D'Aguilar, Cheung Chau, Keung Shan, Lead Mine Pass, Luk Keng, Siu Lam, Tsim Bei Tsui and Yuen Ng Fan.

Senior Scientific Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory, Dr Wong Wing-tak, explaining the function of the broadband seismometer in the Po Shan Seismograph Station.
Senior Scientific Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory, Dr Wong Wing-tak, explaining the function of the broadband seismometer in the Po Shan Seismograph Station.