Editing Geography of the Philippines (section)

===Geology===

The [[Philippine Archipelago]] is geologically part of the [[Philippine Mobile Belt]] located between the [[Philippine Sea Plate]], the South China Sea Basin of the [[Eurasian Plate]], and the [[Sunda Plate]]. The [[Philippine Trench]] (also called the Mindanao Trench) is a [[submarine trench]] {{convert|1320|km|sp=us}} in length found directly east of the Philippine Mobile Belt and is the result of a collision of tectonic plates. The Philippine Sea Plate is [[subducting]] under the Philippine Mobile Belt at the rate of about {{convert|16|cm|sp=us}} per year. The [[Philippine Fault System]] consists of a series of seismic [[fault (geology)|faults]] that produce several [[earthquake]]s per year, most of which are not felt.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} The Galathea Depth in the [[Philippine Trench]] is the deepest point in the country and the [[List of submarine topographical features#List of oceanic trenches|third deepest in the world]]. The trench is located in the Philippine Sea.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/31710 |title=The Galathea Deep Sea Expedition, 1950–1952, described by members of the expedition |last=Bruun |first=Anton Frederick |publisher=Macmillan, New York |year=1956}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2020}}

The islands are composed of volcanic, coral, principal rock formations.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} Eight major types of forests are distributed throughout the Philippines; [[dipterocarp]], beach forest, [[pine]] forest, [[Vitex parviflora|molave]] forest, [[Montane ecosystems|lower montane forest]], upper montane or [[mossy forest]], [[mangrove]]s, and ultrabasic forest.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wikramanayake |first1=Eric D. |last2=Dinerstein |first2=Eric |last3=Loucks |first3=Colby J. |title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: A Conservation Assessment |date=2002 |publisher=Island Press |isbn=978-1-55963-923-1 |page=480 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_VGRBWqIG2gC&pg=PA480 |access-date=July 24, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The highest mountain is [[Mount Apo]]. It measures up to {{convert|2954|m|ft|sp=us}} above sea level and is located on the island of [[Mindanao]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Division |first1=Library of Congress Federal Research |title=Philippines: A Country Study |date=1993 |publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress |isbn=978-0-8444-0748-7 |page=xvi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=64KnPJbfHRMC&q=philippines+mount+apo+2954 |access-date=July 27, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The second highest point can be found on Mindanao as well, at [[Mount Dulang-dulang]], a peak {{convert|2941|m|sp=us}} above sea level.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 10 highest mountains in the Philippines |url=http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2016/01/the-10-highest-mountains-in-the-philippines-2016-update.html |website=Pinoy Mountaineer |date=January 24, 2016 |publisher=Gideon Lasco |access-date=17 September 2023}}</ref>

Situated on the western fringes of the Pacific [[Ring of Fire]], the Philippines experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Holden |first1=William |last2=Nadeau |first2=Kathleen |last3=Porio |first3=Emma |title=Ecological Liberation Theology |date=February 16, 2017 |publisher=Springer, Cham |isbn=978-3-319-50780-4 |pages=5–9 |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-50782-8 |access-date=August 17, 2020 |chapter=The Philippines: Understanding the Economic and Ecological Crisis |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-50782-8_2}}</ref> The [[Benham Plateau]] to the east in the Philippine Sea is an undersea region active in [[Plate tectonics|tectonic]] [[subduction]].<ref name="CLCS submissions">{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/commission_submissions.htm |title=Submissions, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, pursuant to article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 |publisher=United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf |date=May 28, 2009 |access-date=May 29, 2009}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=July 2020}} Around 20 [[earthquake]]s are registered daily, though most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquake was the [[1990 Luzon earthquake]].<ref>La Putt, Juny P. [c. 2003]. [http://www.cityofpines.com/baguioquake/quake.html ''The 1990 Baguio City Earthquake''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212175238/http://www.cityofpines.com/baguioquake/quake.html |date=February 12, 2015 }}. Retrieved December 20, 2009, from [http://www.cityofpines.com/ The City of Baguio]  Website.</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2020}} There are [[List of active volcanoes in the Philippines|many active volcanoes]] such as the [[Mayon Volcano]], [[Mount Pinatubo]], and [[Taal Volcano]].<ref name="PHIVOLCS-Volcanoes">{{cite web |title=Volcanoes of the Philippines |url=https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/volcano-hazard/volcanoes-of-the-philippines |website=Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology |access-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806190713/https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/volcano-hazard/volcanoes-of-the-philippines |archive-date=August 6, 2017}}</ref> The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 produced the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th&nbsp;century.<ref name = Pinatubo1991>{{cite web|author = Newhall, Chris |author2 = James W. Hendley II |author3 = Peter H. Stauffer |name-list-style = amp |title = The Cataclysmic 1991 Eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines (U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 113-97) |url = http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130825233934/http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/ |archive-date = August 25, 2013 |publisher = U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Geological Survey |date = February 28, 2005 |access-date = April 9, 2007}}</ref> The Philippines is the world's second-biggest [[geothermal energy]] producer behind the United States, with 18% of [[Energy in the Philippines|the country's electricity]] needs being met by geothermal power.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-energy.1.14068397.html |author=Davies, Ed |author2=Karen Lema |name-list-style=amp |title=Pricey oil makes geothermal projects more attractive for Indonesia and the Philippines |newspaper=The New York Times|date = June 29, 2008 |access-date=December 18, 2009}}</ref>

[[Mount Pinatubo]] is notorious for its destructive {{nowrap|[[VEI]]-6}} eruption on June 15, 1991. [[Taal Volcano]], one of the [[Decade Volcanoes]], had a {{nowrap|VEI-3.7}} eruption on January 12, 2020. [[Mount Mayon]] is renowned for having an almost perfect cone, but has a violent history of 47 eruptions since 1616 and its {{nowrap|VEI-4}} eruption on June 23, 1897, rained fire for seven days.

Significant mineral deposits exist as a result of the country's complex geologic structure and high level of seismic activity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bryner |first1=Leonid |title=Ore Deposits of the Philippines Their Geology |journal=Economic Geology |date=1969 |volume=64 |pages=645–647 |doi=10.2113/gsecongeo.64.6.644 |citeseerx=10.1.1.875.7878 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Santos Jr. |first1=Gabriel |chapter=Mineral Distribution and Geological Features of the Philippines |title=Metallogenetische und Geochemische Provinzen / Metallogenetic and Geochemical Provinces |journal=Metallogenetic and Geochemical Provinces |date=1974 |volume=1 |page=89 |doi=10.1007/978-3-7091-4065-9_8 |isbn=978-3-211-81249-5 }}</ref> These deposites are considered highly valuable.<ref name="Inquirer-PhilippinesSits">{{cite news |last1=Esplanada |first1=Jerry E. |title=Philippines sits on $840B of mine—US {{!}} Inquirer Business |url=https://business.inquirer.net/47013/philippines-sits-on-840-b-of-mine—us |access-date=July 24, 2020 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=March 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302194026/https://business.inquirer.net/47013/philippines-sits-on-840-b-of-mine%E2%80%94us |archive-date=March 2, 2012}}</ref> The country is thought to have the second-largest gold deposits after South Africa, along with a large amount of copper deposits.<ref name="NYTimesMiners">{{cite news|author = Greenlees, Donald |title = Miners shun mineral wealth of the Philippines |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/business/worldbusiness/14iht-mine.1.12876764.html |newspaper =The New York Times|date = May 14, 2008 |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref> [[Palladium]], originally discovered in South America, was found to have the world's largest deposits in the Philippines too.<ref name="Inquirer-FirmSeesMetal">{{cite news |last1=Cinco |first1=Maricar |title=Firm sees metal costlier than gold in Romblon sea |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/788940/firm-sees-metal-costlier-than-gold-in-romblon-sea |access-date=July 24, 2020 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=June 3, 2016 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724163335/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/788940/firm-sees-metal-costlier-than-gold-in-romblon-sea|archive-date=July 24, 2020}}</ref> [[Romblon]] island is a source of high-quality marble.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.manilastandard.net/news/-provinces/138248/marvelous-marble.html|title=Marvelous marble|date=January 16, 2014|newspaper=The Manila Standard|access-date=January 4, 2021|archive-date=November 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123162628/https://www.manilastandard.net/news/-provinces/138248/marvelous-marble.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other minerals include chromite, nickel, and zinc. Despite this, a lack of law enforcement, poor management, opposition due to the presence of indigenous communities, and past instances of environmental damages and disasters, have resulted in these mineral resources remaining largely untapped.<ref name="NYTimesMiners" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2017/06/the-philippines-a-nation-rich-in-precious-metals-encounters-powerful-opposition-to-mining/|title=The Philippines, a nation rich in precious metals, encounters powerful opposition to mining|publisher=Mongabay|author=Keith Schneider |date=June 8, 2017 |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref>