Distribution of Active Volcanoes Earthquake Epicenters and Mountain Ranges

Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region XIII
Division of Agusan del Sur
TRENTO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SCIENCE 10
Quarter 1
Week 1.3
Lesson: Distribution of Volcanoes, Earthquake Epicenter, and Mountain Ranges Part I

Objectives:
1. plot the active volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and major mountain belts in a world map;
2. describe the distribution of active volcanoes, earthquake epicenters and major mountain belts;
and
3. recognize the importance of preparedness in times of emergency.
Lesson Proper
The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which causes the country to have frequent
seismic and volcanic activity. Many earthquakes of smaller magnitude occur very regularly due to the
movement of the major and minor tectonic plates. The 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami took
place on August 17 near the islands of Mindanao and Sulu. Its magnitude was calculated as being as high
as 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale resulting in almost 5, 000 casualties. A magnitude of 7.2
earthquakes struck Bohol on October 15. 2013. Its epicenter was located 6 kilometers of Sagbayan at a
depth of 12 km. According to the official report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council, 222 were reported dead while 796 people were injured. Thousands of
infrastructures
Batangas experienced an earthquake swarm in April 2017. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck
Batangas on April 4, 2017, a twin earthquake with magnitudes of 5.6 and 6.0 respectively hit the
barangays of Bagalangit and Tanauan both in Mabini, Batangas. Several aftershocks were recorded and
there are reported damages on buildings and houses.
Region XIII
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the northeast of Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental on
December 29, 2018. Tsunami warnings were raised and waves were expected to be less one meter.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Matanao, Davao del Sur on December 15, 2019, and 13
people were killed, one remains missing and 210 others were injured during the tremor. Series of an
earthquake in 2020 was also recorded by PHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology) in areas like Veruela, Agusan del Sur (magnitude 4.0), Sarangani, Davao Occidental
(magnitude 5.6), Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat (magnitude 4.0), San Fernando, La Union ( magnitude 5.2),
Sarangani, Davao Occidental (magnitude 4.8) and many more.
The scientific study of earthquakes and its propagation is called seismology. During an
earthquake, geologists identify the actual point below the surface of the earth where an earthquake
originates. This is called the focus or hypocenter. Since it is not directly observed by the people because
they are located underground, the term epicenter is used to let the people visualize the focus from where
the quake originated. The epicenter is the point that is directly above the focus or hypocenter. In other
words, the focus serves as the actual or the real earthquake originates while epicenters represent the
geographical point of reference in identifying the relationship of the area and the actual location of an
earthquake.
The size of the earthquake is called the magnitude and is determined using the seismic waves
generated by an earthquake. It measures the amount of energy released by an earthquake while intensity
measures the strength of an earthquake produced in a certain location. It refers to the severity of an
earthquake in terms of its effects on the surface of the earth and on humans and their structures.
Another phenomenon that would greatly affect the world is volcanism. Volcanism is the
phenomenon of eruption of molten materials onto the Earth’s surface such as lava, pyroclastic and
volcanic gases that erupts through the break in the Earth’s surface called the vent. It includes all the
events that would like may happen to result in and causing magma within the crust to rise and form
volcanic rocks on the surface.
Region XIII
What are the driving forces of volcanism? The movement of molten rock in the mantle caused by
the convection currents coupled with the gravitational effects of changes on the earth’s surface such as
erosion, deposition, and even asteroid impact and post-glacial rebound drive plate tectonics movement
and ultimately volcanism.
Aside from volcanism, the presence of mountain ranges plays a vital role in laying the
foundations of plate tectonics. A mountain range is a series of mountains, ranged in a line, and connected
by high ground. A mountain belt also known as mountain system is a group of mountain ranges with
similar form, structure, and alignment that have arisen from the same cause usually by the structural
deformation and compositional differentiation of the Earth’s lithosphere at convergent plate margins.
Mountain ranges are formed by a variety of geological processes but most of the significant ones on Earth
are the result of the movement of plate tectonics. This is usually segmented by highlands and valleys.
Let us see how geologists used the plotted positions of earthquake epicenters, active volcanoes,
and major mountain belts throughout the world in conceptualizing crustal movements. The next activity
will give you a first-hand experience on how they lay the foundation of plate tectonics.

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Republic of the Philippines

Lesson: Distribution of Volcanoes, Earthquake Epicenter, and Mountain Ranges Part I

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