Balanan Lake – A Unique

Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Lake:

________________________

Implications for Natural Lake Formation in

the Philippines

Hernulfo B. Ruelo 1
• Balanan Lake is a unique earthquake-
triggered landslide dammed lake
• Lakes are of scientific, historic, and socio-
economic importance
• More geological information and knowledge
of natural lake formation in the country is
needed
• Geologists play a big role in studying our
lakes, thru a multi-disciplinary collaborative
effort with other scientists
2
Lake
lawa, danaw - Tagalog
danaw, linaw, dan-aw - Bisaya, Ilokano
lumao - Lumad IP dialect
ranaw - Maranao
laguna (Italian, Spanish) - pond, lake
lacuna (Latin) - pond, hole

What is a lake?
Merriam-Webster

- a considerable inland body of standing water

Pond - a “small” lake 3
Uses of lakes
➢ hydro-electric power
➢ recreational purposes (ecotourism)
➢ industrial use
➢ agricultural use 
➢ domestic water supply

BAD Uses of lakes

➢ sewer system
➢ mine tailings disposal site
➢ overuse e.g. fishkills
➢ reclamation 4
Mechanisms of lake formation
volcanic
tectonic
riverine processes
coastal processes
dissolution of limestone
mass movements

2001

5
The world’s largest lake on an island in a
lake on an island is

Main Crater Lake on Volcano Island in Lake Taal

6
 Volcanic

Seven (7) lakes of

San Pablo, Laguna

7
Volcano-tectonic
The second largest lake in the Philippines and
counted as one of the 15 ‘ancient lakes’ in the
world

Marawi City

Ranaw (Lake Lanao)

8
Tectonic

Lake Danao
N. Leyte

Lake Danao

9
July 6, 2017 Leyte Earthquake

Lake Danao

Interferogram : Valkaniotis et al. 2017

10
Phil Fault Zone : Besana and Ando 2005
Riverine (oxbow)

11
Shoreline processes (beach accretion)

Sand
dunes Paoay lake
Ilocos Norte

12
 Karstic
Barracuda Lake
recognized by the US-based news
aggregator Huffington Post as one of the
twenty-one (21) “most spectacular”
lakes in the world
Kayangan Lake Coron, Palawan

Kayangan
(Cabugao) Lake

13
5 km Cabugao Lake
Database of Philippine lakes

• Type
• Geology/Terrane
• Age
• Area
• Normal Surface Elevation
• Average Depth
• Maximum Depth
• Water Volume
• Location
• Uses
• Water Body Classification
14
• Status
The largest Philippine lakes

930 km2
1
3

5 6
4
7
28 km2 15
The deepest Philippine lakes

16
The highest Philippine lakes

largest

N Cot Neg Or Neg Or Mis Occ Neg Or Neg Or Lan dS S Cot Lan dN Buk S Cot

17
Philippine lakes

Mass movement

Damming by lava flow, exogenous dome

Explosive eruptions, catastrophic, monogenetic

18
Implications for Natural Lake Formation in
the Philippines
Lakes created by damming :
➢ Lava flow
➢ Dome

➢ Lahar
➢ Debris avalanche
➢ Landslide 19
 Lake Balinsasayao
Sibulan, Negros Oriental

Damming of a
caldera-nested
exogenous dome

Trekearth.com 20
Bulusan Lake Lava-dammed
Bulusan, Sorsogon

21
Bulusan Lake

22
 Marella River
Mapanuepe Lake
San Marcelino, Zambales Mapanuepe River
Sto Tomas River

Lahar-dammed
Before

Umbal and Rodolfo, 1996

After
23
Mapanuepe Lake

Dizon mine pit

24
Lake Buhi
Buhi, Cam Sur

Lake Buhi

Aguila et al. 1986

Dammed by debris avalanche

25
 formed “after a volcanic eruption blocked
Lake Manguao an ancient river valley”
Taytay, Palawan

26
 Balanan Lake Siaton, Negros Oriental

a one-of-a-kind natural lake that formed by damming

of a moderately-size incised water channel by way of a
landslide that was triggered by a M 6.8 earthquake on
May 5, 1925

Landslide dams are caused by either

one or a combination of:
• Earthquakes
• Heavy rainfall
• Volcanic eruption

27
 Cuernos de Negros
Volcanic Complex
Balanan Lake

Dumaguete City

Siaton

28
29
Methodology
1. Literature research
Internet research
Library research (public/ uni / offices)
2. Geomorphological analysis
3. Fieldwork

Reconstruction of Events
1. Earthquake
2. Landslide
May 5, 1925
3. Underwater Landslide
4. Tsunami
5. Lake formation 30
Historical Data

Historical Data Papers of all towns and barrios in the Phils

• destroyed in the National Library during WW2

• recompiled by public teachers starting 1951 as
ordered by Pres. Quirino

Courtesy : Dr. E.J.L. Cleope Jr. Collection, Silliman University Library 31

The May 5, 1925 SE Negros Earthquake

32
USGS
M 6.7 - Negros - Cebu region, Philippines
1925-05-05 10:06:13 UTC
9.782°N 123.064°E

15.0 km depth
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Negros (island), Philippines on May 5 at a
depth of 15.0 km. Seventeen people were killed and some homes were destroyed

National Geophysical Data Center

33
 Soloviev, S.L., and Ch.N. Go, 1974.
1925, May 5, at 18:07 [local time], 9.3 N, 122.7 E. There was a strong
earthquake on the Dumaguete Peninsula (southeast of Negros Island).
The settlements of Tolong, Siaton, Tanhay, Bais and
others, situated on filled-in ground or on the swampy
Quaternary and Tertiary terraces, suffered most of all,
125 km from the source of Negros Island.
Many collapses, landslides and mudslides occurred along
the valleys of the channels on the steep slopes of the
Dumaguete Peninsula; 17 people died as a result.
Recurrent shocks were registered almost constantly in the
epicentral zone during the first few days and sporadically
for several months.
The south coast of Negros Island was inundated by
waves caused by the earthquake.
Gutenberg, Richter (1954): 5.V; 10h06m06s; 9.5 N, 123 E; M=6.75. 34
Garcia, L.C., R.G. Valenzuela, and E.P. Arnold, 1985. Southeast
Asia Association of Seismology, Series on Seismology, vol. IV -
Philippines, U.S. Geological Survey.

1925, May 5, 5:07 p.m. Visayas and N Mindanao: Southern Negros -

earthquake of Intensity VIII-IX.

The area of destruction was very irregular and

conforming to the nature of the ground. It
comprised the half of the southern part of the
island formed by the peninsula - like protuberance
of Dumaguete extending to the SE, and the real
southern end of the island inclined to the SW. Only
the south coast was invaded by the waves
caused by the earthquake... 18 people killed
from landslides on the Dumaguete Peninsula.
35
The Epicenter Intensity VIII-IX

CCOP 2009

Sevilla et al. 1965

USGS

Solovieve & Go
1974

36
The Underwater 1925 M6.8

Landslide

Sulu Sea
Average depth 4.4 km

50 km
37
The Tsunami 2012

2012

1925

Balanan Lake
1925

1922

38
Balanan lake & landslide

39
The Landslide

10-m contours

notch

40
Profile

Lake

41
Landslide deposits
notch
Rockslide debris pile

42
The Lake
Area : 26 hectares
Elevation : 237 masl
Average depth : 30 m

notch

43
Summary
The May 5, 1925 Balanan events :
earthquake, landslide, submarine landslide,
tsunami, and a lake

Research on historical accounts and studies of past

earthquakes and landslides should be incorporated
in geohazard mapping exercises

Future landslides falling into lakes have potential to

create downstream flooding

44
Implications for Natural Lake Formation in
the Philippines
Balanan Lake

➢ Lahar
➢ Debris avalanche
➢ Landslide 45
 dam breach ? Cuernos de Negros
Volcanic Complex
Balanan Lake

Dumaguete City

Siaton

46
Future lake studies should attempt to
investigate the geomorphology, bathymetry,
origin, and sedimentology of lakes, including
physico-chemical, biological, and biodiversity
characteristics.

Such studies will aid our understanding of its

implications on lake-related geohazards,
geotourism, climate change, and sustainable
lake resource protection, preservation, and
development.

Daghang Salamat 47