Deadly Philippines earthquake found to have raised seabed by up to 2 metres

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Mindanao, Philippines, has resulted in significant coastal uplift, raising the seabed by up to 2 meters. This geological phenomenon, reported by residents and confirmed by the environment department, has exposed coral reefs and seagrass beds, leading to the death of marine life. The earthquake, which killed at least 61 people and left 40 missing, caused the Cotabato Trench to shift, pushing upward parts of the coastlines in Sarangani and Davao Occidental provinces. The exposed seabed has extended shorelines by as much as 200 meters in some areas, with images showing dead fish and aquatic organisms on the uplifted seafloor.

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Mindanao, Philippines, on Monday has resulted in at least 61 deaths and 40 missing individuals. The tremor caused significant coastal uplift, raising the seabed by up to two meters and extending shorelines by as much as 200 meters in some areas. This geological phenomenon, known as "coastal uplift," exposed submerged coral and harmed marine life. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology attributed the uplift to a shifting of the Cotabato Trench, which pushed upward parts of the coastlines in Sarangani and Davao Occidental provinces. Local residents first reported the uplift two days after the earthquake.