Philippines Earthquake Rescue Data Service

M 5.9 - 2km NNE of Mabini, Philippines

2017-04-08 07:09:22 UTC

Introduction to the earthquake

Nearby Places

Mabini, Philippines

Bauan, Philippines

San Pascual, Philippines

Taal, Philippines

Calapan, Philippines

Seismotectonics of the Philippine

The Philippine Sea plate is bordered by the larger Pacific and Eurasia plates and the smaller Sunda plate. The Philippine Sea plate is unusual in that its borders are nearly all zones of plate convergence. The Pacific plate is subducted into the mantle, south of Japan, beneath the Izu-Bonin and Mariana island arcs, which extend more than 3,000 km along the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea plate. This subduction zone is characterized by rapid plate convergence and high-level seismicity extending to depths of over 600 km. In spite of this extensive zone of plate convergence, the plate interface has been associated with few great (M>8.0) ‘megathrust’ earthquakes. This low seismic energy release is thought to result from weak coupling along the plate interface . These convergent plate margins are also associated with unusual zones of back-arc extension (along with resulting seismic activity) that decouple the volcanic island arcs from the remainder of the Philippine Sea Plate .