Undersea earthquake measuring 6.9 hits southeast Philippines

No tsunami warning has been issued after the underwater quake in Philippines, but seismologists warn of possible aftershocks.

Manila, Jan 10: An undersea earthquake measuring 6.9 on Richter scale hit southeast Philippines on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. It also said that the quake was measured at a depth of 617 km. As per report by Manila Bulletin, an underwater earthquake with an initial magnitude of 7.2 struck off southeast of Sulu in the Celebes Sea on Tuesday afternoon.

As per reports, no tsunami warning has been issued after the underwater quake, but seismologists warn of possible aftershocks. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the epicenter of the quake, which shook at around 2:13 p.m., was detected at 223 km southeast of Tongkil in the province of Sulu. Meanwhile, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) stated that there is no tsunami threat because the earthquake is located too deep inside the earth.

What is an undersea earthquake?

1. An undersea earthquake is an earthquake that occurs underwater at the bottom of a body of water, especially an ocean.
2. These undersea earthquakes are the leading cause of tsunamis.
3. The magnitude can be measured scientifically by the use of the moment magnitude scale and the intensity can be assigned using the Mercalli intensity scale.

Undersea earthquake measuring 6.9 on Richter scale hits southeast Philippines- USGS

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What causes underwater earthquake?

1. An underwater earthquake can be caused when the floor of the ocean shifts and displaces the above water from where it is.
2. Waves are made as what determines the size is the amount of the sea floor deformation.
3. Not all earthquakes make tsunamis. They must occur under or near the ocean to cause a tsunami. Most tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes, but not all underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis.
4. An earthquake has to be over about magnitude 6.75 on the Richter scale for it to cause a tsunami.

Why is Philippines prone to natural disasters?

Philippines, a Southeast Asian country in the Western Pacific is prone to natural disasters as it lies in the active volcanic region known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country, comprising more than 7,000 islands lies in the geologically unstable region between the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country lies in the region that is is prone to natural disasters, particularly typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

(Image Credit: USGS Graphic)