SMCB TIMES
PAGE 1 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
PLATE BOUNDARIES
IN THE PHILIPPINES
By Michael Joseph Baltzar
According to Different Sources, the
Philippines is one of the world's
most seismic and geologically active
regions and countries.
Due to the various phenomena that occur on
our Earth's lithosphere, such as earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions, our plate tectonics
begin to move apart from one another. Plate
movement results in three types of tectonic
boundaries. Convergent is when plates move
into or collide with one another, one plate
eventually slides beneath the other in the
form of subduction. The next type is divergent,
which occurs when plates separate from one
another. Divergent boundaries within
continents initially produce rifts, which
eventually become rift valleys. The transform
boundaries are where plates move sideways
about each other. It abruptly terminates
where it connects to another plate boundary,
which could be another transform, a
spreading ridge, or a subduction zone.
SOURCE: CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. (N.D.). PLATE BOUNDARIES: DIVERGENT,
CONVERGENT, AND TRANSFORM. RETRIEVED
HTTPS://WWW.CALACADEMY.ORG/EXPLORE-SCIENCE/PLATE-BOUNDARIES-DIVERGENT-
CONVERGENT-AND-TRANSFORM
ACTIVITY ALTERNATIVE # 4
They move at a rate of one to two inches per year.
The plate tectonics in the Philippines is complex
and includes plate boundaries that are changing
rapidly. Several micro-plates are getting squeezed
between two convergent plate margins.
Stratigraphic evidence indicates the reactivation of
subduction at some trenches. The currently active
volcanoes here in the Philippines decline two
North-South bending arcs. The scale varies from
the monogenetic cinder cone fields to large Strato-
volcanoes. The composition of volcanic rocks
ranges from basalt.
According to Government agencies and other
organizations due to the Philippines' location near
the pacific ring of fire, the number of earthquakes
and volcanic eruption that happens often also
most plate boundary movement that happens in
our country is convergent.
OCTOBER 9, 2022, FROM
 SMCB TIMES
PAGE 2 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022 ACTIVITY ALTERNATIVE # 4

By Dirk Umandap
The Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) is a zone of intense deformation and active
seismicity between convergent zones bounding the Philippine Archipelago. This zone was first defined
by Gervasio (1967) to distinguish the seismically active portion of the Philippine Archipelago from the
southwestern region of the Philippines. According to Gervasio, the “mobile belt”, includes North
Luzon, South Luzon, West Visayas, Northwest Mindanao, Bicol Region, East Visayas, Zamboanga,
Cotabato, and the rest of Mindanao with Catanduanes Island representing the east outer zone of the
PMB. On the other hand, the aseismic region is constituted by Palawan and Mindoro. In the plate
tectonics framework, the PMB represents a zone of deformation between surrounding major plates:
the Philippine Sea, Eurasian (Sunda Block), and Indo-Australian Plates. Only Palawan and Mindoro, the
aseismic regions of the Philippines are part of the Eurasian Plate. Based on recent Global Positioning
System, gravity, and seismicity data, we reinterpret Philippine Plate boundaries that define the extent
of the Philippine Mobile Belt. The eastern section of North Luzon, heretofore described as part of the
PMB, moves in a northwest direction with similar velocity as the Philippine Sea Plate. In the past 30
days, there had been a dramatic increase in Earthquake activity. There had been 4 quakes above
magnitude 5,41 quakes between magnitude 4 and 5 and 193 earthquakes between magnitude 3 and 4.
The number of earthquakes has increased over the years as the more plate tectonic activity that occurs
the higher the chances of an earthquake happening to also add to these chances we are located in the
pacific ring of fire. Most of the tectonic plates move which translates to many seismic activities like
earthquakes and volcanic Eruptions.

By Jayson Gabriel Protacio

In summation, the article, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are the outcome of a variety of events,
including plate boundary activity in the Philippines. Plate boundary activity concludes in three forms of
plate tectonic motion: convergent, divergent, and transform. Each form of motion affects the path of
plate boundaries in the Philippines. Since these motions occur in our country, the Philippine Mobile Belt
was created to distinguish the seismic active and non-active seismic portions. In addition, they maintain
records of recent seismic activity during the past 30 days. The PMB is a zone of deformation and
subduction induced by the movement of larger and older plates such as the Eurasian and Australian
plates surrounding it. Change, as they say, is unavoidable, which is why we must cope with it, help raise
awareness, and accept the perils of the unforeseen future. The main purpose of these studies is to save
us from imminent death due to the perils of the planet. Earth science was created to help reduce these
worldwide tremors.

SOURCE: DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE MOBILE BELT IN NORTHERN LUZON

FROM EOCENE TO PLIOCENE. (N.D.). NASA/ADS. RETRIEVED OCTOBER 9, 2022, FROM
HTTPS://UI.ADSABS.HARVARD.EDU/ABS/2017JAESC.142. . .32S/ABSTRACT