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The Manila Observatory

Research Programs

SED Research

The Solid Earth Dynamics (SED) program currently works on the following projects:

The continuing Focal Mechanism Research Project seeks to understand the behaviour of focal mechanism solutions of an earthquake event through the analysis of the effects of small changes to its parameters. Focal mechanism solutions are a way of representing the deformation at the source region of an earthquake. These solutions are computed using seismic waveforms and the “first motion” of earthquake events detected by seismometers spread throughout the globe.

SED contributes to the worldwide network of seismometers that continuously monitor the Earth’s interior. This monitoring is carried out through the Manila Observatory-Davao Station (MO- DAV) in Matina Hills. One of the most significant events detected by the MO-DAV station was the Magnitude 8.9 earthquake of March 11, 2011, which caused a tsunami in Japan.

All earthquake and significant ground motion detected by MO-DAV are analyzed by the team in Quezon City for “first motion” and P-/S-wave determination. SED is a contributor to the International Seismological Centre’s catalogue of earthquakes. The old Baguio (BAG) station is currently manned by and under the administration PHIVOLCS, but seismic data is still available and is being downloaded and archived locally in hard drives.

Analog records of earthquakes (seismograms) are now in the new MO Library & Archives after the intrusion and infestation of termites in the seismic vault within MO grounds (QCP Station). To preserve the seismograms, a large-format scanner was purchased through the MO Archives as part of the preservation project of the MO Archival Collection funded by AECID. A data storage PC and backup are still to be requested for the large amount of data to be stored.