UP Diliman National Institute of Geological Studies says Metro manila Free from Sinkholes

From Business Mirror

The compact volcanic rocks do not dissolve in ground water, in acidic [water]. Most of the rock materials [in Metro Manila] are silicates, silica-rich, so even if the water percolates, it is not affected, Dr. Carlo Arcilla, director of the National Institute of Geological Studies of University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, told the BusinessMirror in an interview on Friday.

Asked about the rock structures under specific areas, he said Makati City and Quezon City are sinkhole-free because they are made of adobe.

If you build in Makati, you won't have a problem because the rock underneath it is adobe, solid rock. Also in many parts of Quezon City, he said.

Manila is mixed with clay but has no limestone, so a sinkhole is the least of their [residents] worry there, he said.

He explained: The Philippines is not all limestone; most of it is volcanic rock, which is not soluble in carbonic acid; [it's] more stable from the perspective of sinkholes, he said.

He said the country has no extensive limestone area unlike in Guatemala, where the whole city is made of limestone, or Florida, where practically half of the state is limestone.

You have no escape [in Guatemala or Florida]. You have to have it checked, he said.



From: http://ping.fm/PhyBY