Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake in Batangas Province, the Philippines.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake at a depth of 198 km beneath Batangas Province on southwestern Luzon Island, the Philippines, slightly after 10.20 pm local time (slightly after 2.20 pm GMT) on Sunday 22 October 2017. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, though it was felt across much of the southwestern part of Luzon. This is typical for such large deep earthquakes; releases of energy that would be deadly close to the surface have spread over a wide area before reaching ground level, so that they are felt over a wide area but not particularly dangerous.

The approximate location of the 22 October 2017 Luzon Earthquake. USGS.

The geology of the Philippines is complex, with the majority of the islands located on the east of the Sunda Plate. To the east of this lies the Philippine Sea plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda Plate (a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate); further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. This is not a smooth process, and the rocks of the tectonic plates frequently stick together before eventually being broken apart by the rising pressure, leading to Earthquakes in the process.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

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Grammatonotus brianne: A new species of Groppo from The Philippines.

Groppos, Grammatonotus spp., are small, brightly coloured Fish closely related to the Splendid Perch, Callanthias spp.. They are planktivorous, and found living at depths of up to a few hundred meters in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 5 October 2016, William Anderson of the Grice Marine Biological Laboratory at the College of Charleston, Brian Greene of the Association for Marine Exploration and Luiz Rocha of the California Academy of Sciences, describe a new species of Groppo from off the coast of Batangas Province on Luzon Island in the Philippines.

The new species is named Grammatonotus brianne, in honour of Brianne Atwood, the wife of Brian Greene. It is described from four specimens, ranging from 72.9 to 84.4 mm in length, caught at depths of about 150 m. These are rosey or reddish in colour, with yellowish or purplish bellies. The ifns are yellow or orange, with the caudal fin (tail) being large and rhomboid in shape, with numerous yellow spots.

Grammatonotus brianne. Batangas, southern Luzon, Philippine Islands. Luiz Rocha in Anderson et al. (2016).

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Callionymus alisae: A new species of Dragonet from New Ireland.                 Dragnets, Callionymidae, are benthic...

Symphysanodon andersoni: A second specimen of the Bucktoothed Slopefish from the south coast of Oman.                       Slopefish, Symphysanodontidae, are...

A new species of Serranine Perchlet from the Philippines.                                                   The Philippines form a major component of the...

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Three construction workers killed in Philippine landslip.

Three construction workers have been killed and another two injured in a landslip in the town of Laurel in Batangas Province, which occurred at about 3.30 pm local time (7.30 am GMT) on Monday 3 June 2013. All five were rushed to local hospitals, but two were pronounced dead on arrival, and a third later died of his injuries. The men were reportedly working on concrete re-enforcements designed to prevent such landslips at the time when the incident occurred. It is thought that the incident was triggered by heavy rains.

The scene of the Laurel landslip. Solar News.

Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure overcomes the sediments cohesion and allows it to flow downhill. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.

The approximate location of the 3 June landslip. Google Maps.

See also Three workers killed in rockfall at Thai limestone quarry, Fifteen-year-old boy killed in Kathmandu landslide, Four children feared dead after after Philippine Landslide, Seven people killed in Mexican landslide and Seven people killed by Landslide in Shaanxi Province, China.

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