TWO earthquakes with magnitudes 5.2 and 5.7 jolted Davao Oriental early Thursday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.
The movement along the Philippine Trench was the cause of the quakes, said Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. The magnitude 5.2 quake — an aftershock of the magnitude 5.5 quake that jolted Tarragona, Davao Oriental on April 20 — struck 140 kilometers east of the municipality of Tarragona at 4:16 a.m. It had a depth of 84 kilometers.
Phivolcs logged instrumental intensity I in Malungon, Sarangani, and said that both an aftershock and damage are not expected from the quake.
The magnitude 5.7 quake, on the other hand, was 96 kilometers deep, and its epicenter was located 136 kilometers southeast of Tarragona.
Intensity 2 was felt in General Santos City.
The following instrumental intensities were also recorded:
Intensity III- Malungon and Alabel Sarangani
Intensity II- Nabunturan, Davao De Oro; Davao City; Tupi, South Cotabato; Koronadal City
Intensity I- Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Kidapawan City; Kiamba, Sarangani; Santo Niño and T’boli South Cotabato
Reported intensity is the traditional way of knowing the intensity based on reports of people who felt the earthquake. On the other hand, instrumental intensity is measured using an intensity meter that measures ground acceleration.
Aftershocks are likely, while damage is not expected since damage starts at intensity VI based on Phivolcs scale.
