REGIONAL GEOLOGICAL FEATURES AND NEOTECTONIC MOVEMENT OF TAIWAN INLAND AND OFFSHORE AREAS

Taiwan is located at the junction of the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate. The tectonic framework and regional geological features of the inland and its offshore owe their origin to the collision of the Luzon Arc and the Eurasian Continent (arc-continent collision) in Middle Miocene. We summarized in this paper the regional geological features of the study area based on field geological observation and survey data. The geology of Taiwan is characterized by young strata, strong and young active tectonics and the influence of both Manila subduction and Ryukyu subduction. The neotectonic movement in Taiwan is also effected by arc-continent collision. There are numerous faults, thrust-fold belts, frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and higher geothermal anomalies in the study area. Neotectonic movement is particularly active in the Western Foothills, the Longitudinal Valley-the Coastal Rang and the southern and northeastern seas.