Subduction tectonics of the Philippines

Tectonic overview of the Philippines. Orange shading represents the Palawan Microcontinental Block; grey shading represents the Philippine Mobile Belt. The direction of triangles represents the direction of subduction.

The subduction tectonics of the Philippines is the control of geology over the Philippine archipelago. The Philippine region is seismically active and has been progressively constructed by plates converging towards each other in multiple directions.[1] The region is also known as the Philippine Mobile Belt due to its complex tectonic setting.[2]

The region is bounded by subduction zones, where surrounding oceanic plates to the east and west slide towards the centre of the Philippine archipelago.[3][2] Subduction results in deep oceanic trenches, such as the Philippine Trench and Manila Trench, which bound the eastern and western sides of the Philippine archipelago, respectively.[4] The Philippine archipelago is also cut along its length by a left-lateral strike-slip fault known as the Philippine Fault.[5][1]

Active subduction disturbs the Earth's crust, leading to volcanic activity, earthquakes, and tsunamis, making the Philippines one of the most geologically hazard-prone regions on Earth.[4][6]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Yumul, Graciano P.; Dimalanta, Carla B.; Maglambayan, Victor B.; Marquez, Edanjarlo J. (March 2008). "Tectonic setting of a composite terrane: A review of the Philippine island arc system". Geosciences Journal. 12 (1): 7. Bibcode:2008GescJ..12....7Y. doi:10.1007/s12303-008-0002-0. S2CID 140627389.
  5. ^ Kreemer, Corné; Holt, William E.; Haines, A. John (July 2003). "An integrated global model of present-day plate motions and plate boundary deformation". Geophysical Journal International. 154 (1): 8–34. Bibcode:2003GeoJI.154....8K. doi:10.1046/j.1365-246x.2003.01917.x.
  6. ^ Barrier, E.; Huchon, P.; Aurelio, M. (1991). "Philippine fault: A key for Philippine kinematics". Geology. 19 (1): 32–35. Bibcode:1991Geo....19...32B. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1991)019<0032:PFAKFP>2.3.CO;2.