PhiVolcs: Volcano story a hoax

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — The malicious text brigade, insinuating that an underwater volcano in Loon had triggered the devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Bohol, irked the authorities saying that it only worsened the situation by causing undue panic on the people.

The Philippine Institute of  Volcanology and Seismology (PhiVolcs) clarified that the there is no volcano in Bohol, particularly in Loon town, contrary to the text messages circulated by malicious individuals.

Governor Edgar Chatto said that the PhiVolcs already explained that the yellowish liquid that seeped out in Loon was just normal, especially with the strength of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that had shaken the ground.

"This is called soil liquefaction wherein the stress brought about by the shaking of the ground during the earthquake caused the saturated or partially saturated soil to lose strength or stiffness," said the agency.

PhiVolcs also clarified that the 6-magnitude or or 5.5-magnitude on Saturday and the 4.9-magnitude on Monday were aftershocks that normally follow after an earthquake, as the ground cuts that had been shaken had to find the position to fit each other.

"There is no cause for panic and the public should take extra precaution by staying away from anything that could fall whenever there is movement, like in old structures or tall edifice," said PhiVolcs.

Authorities also got irked on the circulation of a video, which went viral in the Internet, showing a hole in the seabed off  Baclayon coast.

The video showed a long crack from the shoreline to a distance toward the seabed off Baclayon, leading to a hole beneath the sea level, which may be a vent of an underwater volcano that suddenly became active, triggering the earthquake. Stories also circulated in Baclayon that a school of fish around the area died one by one.

In a primer on the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the province, PhiVolcs explained: "Bohol Island is one of the seismically active areas in the country. Instrumental monitoring of earthquakes for the past century has detected many small to moderate-magnitude earthquakes in Bohol Island. There is at least one known earthquake generator on the island, the East Bohol Fault. In addition, there are other local faults which can be sources of small to large magnitude earthquakes. Earthquakes can also occur offshore or undersea because of local offshore faults near the island or trenches in the vicinity of the region."

PhiVolcs also explained that the current seismic trend indicates that the earthquake last Oct. 15 was the main shock, and the succeeding small magnitude earthquakes were the aftershocks.

"Aftershocks are expected, some of which will be felt. These may continue for weeks to months, but diminishing in number and strength as time passes by. In this case, a higher magnitude earthquake related to this event is no longer expected to occur," added PhiVolcs. (FREEMAN)