Bukid Series 1: Mt. Apo

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By: Marie Ernestine C. Patindol

Mindanao, Philippines: Mount Apo

Mindanao, Philippines: Mount Apo
Mount Apo, Mindanao island, Philippines.

Mount Apo is the grandfather of all Philippine mountain with an elevation of 3,144 meters above sea level making it the highest peak of the Philippine archipelago and is very known among Filipino mountaineers. It is located between Davao Province in Region XI and Cotabato Province in Region XII. It is said to be named after a noble man, Apong, who was killed while mediating the battle between the two suitors of his daughter, Saribu.

Mount Apo falls under the Type IV- Climate under the modified Corona's classification wherein rainfall is relatively distributed throughout the year. In late March to April 2016, massive patches of forest fires and bushfires appeared on the slopes of the mountain due to extreme effects of El Niño which is caused by climate change and global warming. Due to massive haze engulfing the slopes of the mountain, hikers tend to halt their ascent and tourism in the region was threatened. Later on, the mountain recovered after the government and local stakeholders initiated a holistic recovery plan for the entire national park.

File:The Ring of Mt. Apo.jpg

Mount Apo, 2015
Bro. Jeff Pioquinto, SJ
 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/90412460@N00/19916862838)

Mount Apo is a potentially-active, basaltic-andesitic stratovolcano and is part of the Central Mindanao Arc. The densely forested volcano has a flat summit with three peaks that overlooks Davao City to the northeast, Digos City to the southeast, and Kidapawan City to the west.

A stratovolcano, commonly called composite volcano, is a conical-shaped volcano composed of steeply-dipping layers of lava, hardened ash, and other material erupted from the main vent. A very good example of stratovolcano is Mt. Apo. Stratovolcanoes are commonly found along subduction zones which are boundaries between two tectonic plates wherein an oceanic plate is sinking into the matle beneath another tectonic plate.

Resulta ng larawan para sa subduction volcanoes
Retrieved from: https://socratic.org/questions/how-does-a-subduction-volcano-forms

These stratovolcanoes, such as Mount Apo, are formed when heat and pressure in the subduction zone squeezes water out of the subduction plate that makes the pressure drop, forming magmas. Less dense magmas in the mantle rises up and melts through the crust that gathers in a reservior called magma chamber. This creates pressure on the earth's crust. When the pressure becomes too large, the magma forces its way to the surface. Repeated eruptions form layers of rock and ash, gradually forming layers. This eventually builds the volcano up to create the cone-shaped stratovolcano.

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