By Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA, (PNA) — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Wednesday sent a team to Bohol and Cebu to determine other faults or trenches in the province.
Phivolcs science research specialist Ric Mangao said that a four-man team created by Phivolcs has left Manila Wednesday to go to Bohol and Cebu to study and determine if there are other faults or trenches beside East Bohol fault that could have also moved, triggering the tremor.
“Maraming lugar pa sa Central Visayas ang hindi pa rinnai-explore ng Phivolcs hanggang ngayon dahil kulang sa manpower. Kaya iyon ang gagawin ng team na ipinadala doon… Titingnan nila at pag-aaralan kung may iba pa bang mga faults o trenches na posible ding gumalaw nung Martes besides East Bohol fault,” Mangao explained.
Meanwhile, Mangao said that two magnitude 5.1 aftershocks rocked parts of the Visayas and Mindanao on Wednesday morning.
According to Mangao, the aftershocks were recorded at 9:36 and 10:42 a.m. and the epicenters of both tremors were traced at Tagbilaran City in Bohol province.
Mangao said the 9:36 a.m. aftershock was felt at Intensity 4 in Tagbilaran City and Sibulan, Negros Oriental, while Intensity 3 was recorded at Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu – all in Visayas.
Intensity 2, on the other hand, was felt at Mambajao,Camiguin in Mindanao.
He explained that intensity measures the effects of a quake on objects or the environment, while magnitude measures the energy released by the tremor.
Mangao said that so far, these aftershocks were the strongest among the series of tremors, following the magnitude 7.2 quake that hit Central Visayas on Tuesday morning.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Mangao said that 912 aftershockshave been recorded in Bohol.
Of these aftershocks, he noted that about 18 were felt,while others were almost imperceptible.
Mangao said more aftershocks are expected in the comingdays, but assured that these will not be as strong as the main quake and will gradually become weaker and less frequent as the weeks passed.