Three minor tectonic earthquakes hit the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Cotabato, and Leyte on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. | PHOTO: Phivolcs
MANILA, Philippines — Three minor tectonic earthquakes swayed the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Cotabato, and Leyte on Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.
The first temblor was recorded at 5:55 a.m. in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. It registered a 3.9-magnitude on the scale and occurred at a depth of nine kilometers.
Phivolcs said Intensity II was reportedly felt in Bacarra, Pasuquin, and Bangui towns, while Instrumental Intensities III and 1 were logged in Pasuquin and Laoag City, respectively.
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Another quake happened at 11:59 a.m. in Makilala, Cotabato. The magnitude 3.5 tremor’s depth of focus was nine kilometers.
Phivolcs said Makilala and Davao del Sur’s Magsaysay, Matanao, and Bansalan towns reported Intensity II vibration. Instrumental Intensity II was likewise recorded in Magsaysay and Matanao and Cotabato’s Kidapawan City.
At 8:03 p.m. Wednesday, a magnitude 3.7 earthquake shook Leyte. It was felt at Intensity III in Leyte, as well as in the province’s Capoocan and Kananga towns, and Intensity II in Ormoc City and Carigara municipality, as well as in nearby Biliran province.
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Phivolcs said the temblor registered a ground motion of Instrumental Intensity III in Leyte and Kananga; Instrumental Intensity II in Ormoc City, Carigara, and Calubian; and Instrumental Intensity I in Villaba.
In a previous interview with INQUIRER.net, Phivolcs Science Research Analyst Lara Guianan explained that intensity is the power of an earthquake as felt and reported by the affected population, while instrumental intensity is the quake’s strength as measured by an intensity meter or scale.
Phivolcs said neither aftershocks nor damage could be expected from the three quakes, which it considered “minor.” An earthquake is deemed small if it registers 3.0 to 3.9 magnitude on the scale.
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