|
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Phivolcs recorded 14 aftershocks in Nabunturan
By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has so far recorded 15 aftershocks, as of Wednesday, in the Nabunturan faultline since the May 16 earthquake that shook most parts of Mindanao with magnitude of 6.1 in the Richter scale.
But Ferdinand Taglucop, Phivolcs analyst, said the occurrence of aftershocks after a main tremor is natural and should not be a source of worry for many residents residing in the area.
Taglucop said of the 15 aftershocks, only six were felt by residents in Nabunturan while the rests were merely monitored upon registering at their seismograph.
About 100 families from Barangays Mainit and Bukal in Nabunturan fled their homes Monday night after text messages circulated that a volcano will erupt in the area as a result of Sunday's strong earthquake.
Taglucop said that the perceived volcano in Nabunturan, Mt. Angelo, is nothing but a six-foot mound that is growing as a result of the hot springs in the area.
He said the source of heat from the hot springs in the two barangays are not from the magma usually found in volcanoes but from the faultlines that is present in Nabunturan.
Taglucop said Nabunturan lies along the Philippine fault zone, which runs from Northern Luzon down to Pujada Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental.
He said the only known volcano in Compostela Valley is found in Maco and not in Nabunturan.
Asked on the threat of the Nabunturan faultline to the gold-rich mountain of Diwalwal in Monkayo, Taglucop said just like in all other areas in the country they classified Diwalwal as "prone to intensity 8 earthquake".
It was learned that the elevation of an area is relative to the impact of an earthquake. Taglucop admitted the more elevated an area, the more an earthquake is felt.
He said that aside from elevation there are other factors that would affect the earthquake's impact, such as presence of a strong bedrock formation in the area.
Office of the Civil Defense 11 chief Carmelito Lupo meanwhile said that as part of their disaster emergency program, they had already conducted disaster management training in Diwalwal last January "to minimize the risks during disasters," such as earthquake.
Lupo said they will also be conducting information drive in Nabunturan to educate residents there about earthquakes. He said this is to prevent another round of panic in the area simply due to ignorance. BOT
(May 20, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
