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6 Genesis of Phil Notes Rev

The Philippine Archipelago emerged from the shifting and collision of tectonic plates over geological time. Four major plates were involved in its evolution: the Eurasian, Indian-Australian, Pacific, and Philippine Sea plates. From 100-65 million years ago, a proto-Philippine island arc formed parts of eastern Philippines from volcanic and ophiolitic terranes. From 65-50 million years ago, the spreading of the South China Sea moved the Philippines away from mainland China toward the Pacific. By 55-35 million years ago, microcontinental terranes that became parts of Luzon, Mindoro, and Zamboanga rimmed southeast Eurasia, and the islands were divided into three separate arcs. From 25

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32 views1 page

6 Genesis of Phil Notes Rev

The Philippine Archipelago emerged from the shifting and collision of tectonic plates over geological time. Four major plates were involved in its evolution: the Eurasian, Indian-Australian, Pacific, and Philippine Sea plates. From 100-65 million years ago, a proto-Philippine island arc formed parts of eastern Philippines from volcanic and ophiolitic terranes. From 65-50 million years ago, the spreading of the South China Sea moved the Philippines away from mainland China toward the Pacific. By 55-35 million years ago, microcontinental terranes that became parts of Luzon, Mindoro, and Zamboanga rimmed southeast Eurasia, and the islands were divided into three separate arcs. From 25

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Paulo Edrozo
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GENESIS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

The Philippine Archipelago


Emerged because of the dynamic shifting and collision of plates
Welded together in an island arc and punctuated by episodic and extensive
magmatic activity
Mixture of lithospheric blocks of different ages that came from far away origins
Plate Tectonics explains where and when these terranes were formed and how they
were transported to their present site
Four Major Plates in the geologic and tectonic evolution of the Philippines
1. Continental Eurasian Plate
2. Indian-Australian Plate
3. Oceanic Pacific Plate
4. Philippine Sea Plate

100-65 MYA (Late Cretaceous Period)


Proto-Philippine Island arc
o Volcanic and ophiolitic terranes of eastern Philippines (Bicol, Leyte, East
Mindanao)
65-50 MYA (Early Cenozoic Era)
East-to-west spreading of the South China Sea floor moved the Philippines away
from the mainland China toward the Pacific Ocean
55-35 MYA (Eocene Epoch)
Micro-continental terranes that will later become North Palawan, Mindoro and
Zamboanga still rimmed the margins of southeastern Eurasia
Middle of Eocene magmatic activity built the volcanic terrains of Luzon, Visayas
and central Mindanao
The Philippines was divided into 3 separate island arcs:
1. Luzon arc whose remains are found in the Sierra Madre ranges and are
moving down, possibly toward Samar
2. Halmahera arc forming the East and Central Mindanao Cordilleras
3. Sangihe arc forming the Zamboanga peninsula and the Kudarat plateau in
western Mindanao
25-10 MYA (Miocene Epoch)
Formation of the Philippine Fault
Luzon rotated 40-50 counterclockwise while Panay rotated 20 clockwise
Beginning of subduction in the Manila trench
5-2 MYA (Plio-Pleistocene Epoch)
Archipelago settled in its present position
o Basin expanded and developed into flatlands and rolling hills accompanied by
volcanic activity
o Landmass expanded due to fluctuations of sea level
o When sea level was low, land bridges were exposed, connecting PalawanBorneo with central and western Southeast Asia

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