There’s something about doomsday, end-of-the-world stories that appeal to people – even if there really is no way to predict how and when that would happen. We just love sharing such stories and speculating about what could happen, even when there is no truth to the rumors.
That’s exactly what’s happening now with the story of the “Big One” Earthquake which Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) had previously announced.
While the possibility of the Big One happening soon is definitely not fake news and was announced by no less than PHIVOLCS authorities, the agency has not released the exact date or date range of when it would happen because the truth is that there is no reliable technology on Earth that could ever predict earthquakes – even in the most advanced countries!
A lot of people are panicking over text messages and Facebook private messages that claim the Big One will happen anytime between February 24 and March 8, 2017.
But while PHIVOLCS could not confirm that the earthquake will not happen sometime on those dates, the agency could also not predict whether it will happen within the said dates.
The agency wrote, “We cannot predict when or where an earthquake will happen. There is no reliable technology in the world that can confidently predict the date, time and location of large earthquakes. What we do is prepare earthquake scenarios of hazards and impacts to be used as guide for mitigation, preparedness and response.”
Are the Recent Earthquakes Going to Lead to the Big One?
Have you noticed a spate of earthquakes in recent weeks? It seems that every few days or so, there are earthquakes in various parts of the Philippines. This led to people believing the circulating fake message warnings.
Remember that the Philippines belongs to the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a “major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.” According to statistics, about 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur in this belt.
So, it is highly possible that the small earthquakes are merely due to the movement of the small plates across the country – and this may or may not lead or signal to the Big One. But with the PHIVOLCS announcement, we should stop speculating that it would happen anytime from February 24 to March 8, 2017.
Let’s stay alert, be prepared, and know what to do should the Big One or any other earthquake and natural disaster will occur without notice!