Microearthquake surveys in the Central and Northern Philippines

Abstract

abstract Microearthquake surveys were carried out in three sections of Central and Northern Philippines during 1975-1976 for a period of 5 months. A 4-month survey of Bataan Peninsula identified a major tectonic feature near Manila Bay which could not have been postulated from examination of seismicity maps. This feature appears to be situated near the southern end of ultramafic rocks of West Central Luzon and West Luzon Trough and trends W-SW from east of Corregidor Island toward Manila Trench for a distance of about 100 km. This survey also showed no microearthquake activity beneath two presently inactive volcanoes on Bataan Peninsula. The rate of activity in Bataan Peninsula region was found to be very low (8.4 events/1000 km2/yr). A short-duration survey (16 days) of the Philippine Fault in North Central Luzon revealed no microearthquake activity on the fault. During a third short-duration survey (16 days), the Verde Island Passage area between Luzon and Mindoro was found to be as highly active at the microearthquake level as it is for large earthquakes.