Phivolcs

“We are just waiting for some signatures but next year we will start,” he said.

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Meanwhile, Bacolcol said “The Big One” could also trigger the eruption of Taal Volcano in Batangas.

Asked for the possible impact, he said it might be similar to the major eruption of Taal in 2020.

Better detection

With the fault responsible for the powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu now identified, Phivolcs said it is working to overcome obstacles in determining offshore active faults.

The bureau has named it the Bogo Bay Fault, with its inland extension located at Sitio Looc in Barangay Nailon, Bogo City.

Phivolcs’ field investigation found open cracks, fault scarps and small pressure mounds in the area, suggesting the fault may extend up to 1.5 kilometers.

Some scientists have emphasized the importance of mapping offshore active faults not only for academic purposes but also to improve disaster preparedness.

Before announcing the discovery, Bacolcol told The STAR on Friday that it is a formidable challenge for seismologists to identify offshore active faults despite existing technology.

“There is acoustic equipment available to survey our bodies of water, but the challenge is they are so vast,” he said in a phone interview, adding that the bureau is currently using satellite images for this purpose.

Phivolcs, he said, focuses on mapping inland active faults to provide relevant information to the public on where to construct their properties.