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Questions and Answers
What is the result of the complex series of geological events that have shaped the Philippine archipelago?
The birth of the Philippine archipelago
How many volcanoes are located in the Philippine archipelago, and how many of them are active?
Thirty-seven volcanoes, with eighteen of them being active
What three large plates converge in the West Pacific Region, where the Philippine archipelago is located?
The India-Australia plate, Eurasia Plate, and Pacific Plate
What has been the result of the northward movement of the India-Australia Plate since the late Mesozoic era?
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What is the result of the convergent plate margins in the West Pacific Region?
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What is the name of the geological region that the Philippine archipelago is part of, characterized by high volcanic activity?
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What is the challenge in determining the motion of the Philippine Sea plate relative to the surrounding plates?
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What is the name of the trench system where the Philippine Sea plate subducts under the Eurasia Plate to the Southwest?
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What are the two tectono-stratigraphic blocks underlying the Philippine islands?
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What event occurred during the Mesozoic that affected the Palawan—Mindoro Continental Block (PCB)?
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What is the result of the collision between the Palawan—Mindoro Continental Block (PCB) and the Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) in the Visayas?
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What is the orientation of the Western Visayan block, including Mindoro—Marinduque, Panay, northeastern Negros, Cebu, northwestern Masbate, and Bohol, as a result of the collision?
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Study Notes
The Philippine Archipelago's Complex Origin
- The Philippine archipelago was formed through a complex series of geological events, including continental rifting, oceanic spreading, subduction, ophiolite obduction, arc-continent collision, intra-arc basin formation, and strike-slip faulting.
- The archipelago is part of the western-Pacific "Ring of Fire" and contains 37 volcanoes, with 18 being active.
- The West Pacific Region, where the Philippines is located, is currently the region with the most active and complex tectonic activities.
Tectonic Plates and Movement
- The India-Australia Plate has been moving northward since the late Mesozoic, resulting in collision/subduction with the Eurasia Plate and the westward subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Eurasia Plate.
- This movement has resulted in the formation of volcanic activity zones in the Pacific region, including the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
- The Philippine Sea plate is a distinct plate that plays a special role in the tectonic history of the western Pacific and eastern Eurasian continent.
Subduction Zones
- The Philippine Sea plate subducts under the Eurasia Plate at the Ryukyu Trench to the northwest and along the East Luzon Trough—Philippine Trench System to the southwest.
- The Philippine Trench is the third deepest in the world, with a depth of approximately 10,540 meters.
- Other subduction zones in the region include the Negros Trench, Manila Trench, and Cotabato Trench.
Tectono-Stratigraphic Blocks
- Two tectono-stratigraphic blocks underlying the Philippine islands have been identified: the Palawan–Mindoro Continental Block (PCB) and the Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB).
- The PCB was originally part of the Asian mainland that was rifted away during the Mesozoic, while the PMB has developed mainly from island arcs and ophiolite terranes that started to form during the Cretaceous.
- The PMB has been colliding with the PCB in the Visayas in the central-western Philippines since the Miocene.
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Description
Learn about the complex geological processes that shaped the Philippine Islands, including continental rifting, oceanic spreading, subduction, and more. Test your knowledge of the region's fascinating geologic history.
