PHIVOLCS Fault Line Map for Samar Island

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Yesterday (August 31, 2012), an earthquake struck under the sea about 33 kilometers east off the coast of Samar Island. According to United States Geological Center (USGS) the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6. Tsunami warning were raised for the countries around the Pacific Ocean, which includes the Philippines. Samar was the island that is closest to the epicenter of the earthquake and have the highest risk if tsunami waves were formed.

Thankfully, the earthquake did not generate tsunami waves. Another thing to thank for is that the earthquake did not occur on Samar Island. Much damage might occur if the epicenter of yesterday's is located on land.

There is still a possibility that the next earthquake will occur on Samar Island. Yesterday's earthquake should serve as a reminder to the people of Samar Island that they need to be prepared for calamities due to earthquake.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) prepared maps showing the location of active faults and areas susceptible to liquefaction. Here is the “Active Faults and Liquefaction Susceptibility Map” for Samar Island:

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This map was extracted from PHIVOLCS' “Active Faults and Liquefaction Susceptibility Map of Region VIII” The link points to a PDF file.

Here is the legend for the map:

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Notice that the fault lines on Samar Island can be categorized to three groups, which are the Northern Samar Lineament, Central Samar Lineament and the Southern Samar Lineament.

Notice that the fault line of Central Samar Lieneament passes through Catbalogan City. Those who live in this city should prepare for the possible occurrence of earthquake.

Preparation is the key to safety. I have a blog post that have tips about being prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis.

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Some information on this blog post was obtained from GMA News website and PHIVOLCS website.

PHIVOLCS Maps of Marikina Fault Line Affected Areas

PHIVOLCS is calling all owners of buildings and structures located on or near the Marikina Fault, which is now officially named as West Valley Fault, to be prepared as an earthquake may strike along Marikina Fault at any time. According to PHIVOLCS, the latest activity of Marikina Fault occurred at around 200 years ago and the accumulated stress will cause a major tectonic activity.

Yesterday, March 21, there is an earthquake that occurred off Lubang Island. It seems like that there is a rise of occurrence of felt earthquakes around the Philippines. Thus, it is no wonder that PHIVOLCS is anticipating movement of the Marikina Fault.

Due to this, many people are afraid of a major earthquake along Marikina Fault. Thankfully, PHIVOLCS drew maps of Marikina Fault, which shows where the fault lines are. Based on a PHIVOLCS document (Pdf file), Marikina Fault passes through Laguna, Muntinlupa City, Quezon City, Montalban (Rodriguez) Marikina City, San Mateo, Pasig City and Taguig City. Here is the diagram as shown on the document issued by PHIVOLCS:
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Here is a rough map showing the general location of Marikina Fault Line in Metro Manila:

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Rough map showing the areas affected by Marikina Fault.

Visit PHIVOLCS website to see the maps of areas affected by Marikina Fault. PHIVOLCS has 15 large scale maps, which is helpful in seeing if your home is near the Marikina Fault or not.

Map is obtained from the document, The Marikina Valley Fault System: Active Faulting in Eastern Metro Manila (Pdf file), as posted on PHIVOLCS website.

Also read related post about the PHIVOLCS Tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake, PHIVOLCS list of fault lines and PHIVOLCS Map of Tsunami Prone Areas.

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Do you have questions about the Marikina Fault Line? You have comments about the earthquakes and how prepared our government for such calamities? Tell me about it by leaving a comment.

Information on Fault Lines and Earthquakes from PHIVOLCS Fault Finder Map

The calamity that occurred in Japan last Friday sparked the attention about the safety of the Philippines about earthquakes and tsunamis. PHIVOLCS and the government assured that the new high-rise buildings around Metro Manila are sound enough to withstand earthquakes. However, many people are still concerned, especially because of the many fault lines around our country.

For those who are looking for a map issued by PHIVOLCS that shows the major fault lines, I suggest that you visit the PHIVOLCS Fault Finder map. The Fault Finder map shows the distribution of active faults and trenches in the Philippines as delineated by PHIVOLCS. The picture below shows the general location of fault lines and trenches. The Fault Finder map of PHIVOLCS is much clearer and interactive so I suggest that you should look at it.
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To see the regional distribution of fault lines in the Philippines, I suggest that you also look at the Fault Finder map of PHIVOLCS.

Be prepared for earthquakes and the best preparation is to gain knowledge.

Visit my posts about PHIVOLCS Tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake, PHIVOLCS Map of Tsunami Prone Areas, and PHIVOLCS Maps of areas affected by Marikina Fault.

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Do you need information about PHIVOLCS? Do you have questions regarding earthquakes and fault line maps? Please tell us by leaving a comment.