<![CDATA[Taiwan is a region characterized by complex tectonic conditions and high seismic activity, making it highly vulnerable to earthquake hazards. This study aims to calculate the Local Magnitude (ML) of the Hualien earthquake that occurred on April 3, 2024, as part of disaster risk mitigation efforts through the estimation of regionally relevant earthquake magnitude. Although the Local Magnitude scale is known to experience saturation for large earthquakes, this method remains valuable due to its sensitivity to local seismic wave characteristics and the dense seismic monitoring network available in Taiwan. The dataset used in this study consists of seismic records from 58 stations of the Central Weather Administration Seismic Network (CWASN) and 196 stations of the Taiwan Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (TSMIP), obtained from the geophysical database of the Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan. The analysis involved instrument correction, conversion of acceleration records into Wood – Anderson equivalent seismic displacement, determination of maximum amplitudes, and application of geometric spreading and attenuation corrections that account for hypocentral depth and source – to – station distance. Local Magnitude calculations were performed by grouping the data according to hypocenter – to – station distance in order to evaluate the influence of distance variations on magnitude estimation. The results indicate that the estimated ML values range from 7.2 to 7.4, with variations influenced by station distribution, observation distance, and local site characteristics. These magnitude estimates are expected to provide more representative information for supporting emergency response and disaster management planning in Taiwan.]]>
