Page 174 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

DANGER ZONE

PHILIPPINE

EARTHQUAKE

All around the Pacific Ocean, people live under the
constant threat of earthquakes caused by the ocean
floor grinding beneath nearby continents. Worst hit are
regions that lie near the deep ocean trenches, especially
in the high-risk earthquake zone, known as the Pacific
Ring of Fire. This includes the Philippines, which have
suffered more than 25 earthquakes since the year 2000—
there were nine earthquakes in 2012 alone. The sudden
fracture of the earth generates shock waves that cause
chaos, wrecking whole communities and claiming lives.

AT A GLANCE

• LOCATION Negros, Philippine islands,
Southeast Asia
• EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE 6.7

• TYPE Fault rupture at junction of
several tectonic plates
• DATE February 6, 2012

STATS AND FACTS

AFTERMATH TREMOR DEPTH
The location of the
Philippines on the Although the 2012 The earthquake
tremor was
earthquake was
Pacific Ring of Fire not the deadliest, 6.8 miles (11 km)
means that they suffer it left 23,500 below ground.
people homeless.
many earthquakes
DISASTER ZONES and some are so small EARTHQUAKE SCALE In the Philippines, the strongest
every year. Most of
these are just tremors,
recorded earthquake had a
that few people notice
magnitude of 8.7.
them. But every few
years, a catastrophic
earthquake shakes
5–7
1–4
8–10
the region.
Extreme
Some structural
Measured
172 but no damage damage destruction

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