Series of quakes in Surigao Norte may lead up to ‘larger’ one — Phivolcs

FILE: PHIVOLCS EARTHQUAKE MAP

MANILA, Phlippines — The series of earthquakes that have jolted the province of Surigao del Norte over the last few days may end with a larger quake, the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Tuesday.

Since the magnitude 5.5 earthquake that hit the province on April 26, as many as 728 other weak-to-moderate-intensity earthquakes have been reported in the area.

“At this early stage, the current earthquake activity may indicate two scenarios: it may continue with its present activity and eventually wane in the next few days or this may culminate to a larger earthquake,” Phivolcs said in an advisory.

Phivolcs explained that the series of earthquakes in the province were “associated with the ongoing subduction (or the sideways and downward movement of the edge of a plate of the earth’s crust into the mantle beneath another plate) of the Philippine Sea Plate along the Philippine Trench.”

Phivolcs said they are continuously monitoring the movements in the province and warned the public of possible earthquakes in the next few days.

“People in the area should take preparedness measures, and be guided by verified information,” Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs asked the public to be careful of unverified information.

The earthquakes in Surigao del Norte happened after the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck Zambales and magnitude 6.5 earthquake that jolted Eastern Samar.

Phivolcs science research analyst Nolan Evangelista, however, said the earthquakes were not related to one another.

“Each fault in the country has different characteristics from other faults. There is no relationship,” Evangelista earlier told INQUIRER.net.

“Earthquakes are normal because the Philippines is seismically active. We are within the Ring of Fire, like Indonesia and Japan. Every now and then there are earthquake activities,” Evangelista added.