Yeah, this is the first big 'learning' earthquake since Chi-chi (also in Taiwan). We could learn so much if we could read Chinese. I might have to wait for the papers, but they'll be behind the pay-wall. :)
As well, although I could learn a lot, North American engineers will be oblivious, since they are stuck to California.
Things to learn:
A map of PGV (peak ground velocity) around the epicentre. This will tell us the angle of the thrust fault and which side has the hanging wall.
A PGV map of the whole region will show us the soil amplification. Right now I think it is a factor of 10 in PGV, but we need a close pair of soil and rock sites.
PGV and Intensity, or structural damage. I'd love to know if we had standing waves.
Things we could have learned by won't:
The tin can building was damaged by a previous earthquake. What was the the PGV? If Taiwan was smart, they would do a noise analysis of every new building and then right after an earthquake. They've got the money for that! :) I suspect the tincan building was too soft in first place, and the previous earthquake softened even more. They could have condemned the building for that, but I suspect gross corruption, of almost Turkish standards. Let my Taiwan apologist defend that! :)
Seriously though, Taiwan is the best in this whole thing. I shudder to think about other countries.
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