Zambales Mountains

Zambales Mountains
Zambales Mountains
	The mountain range seen from San Narciso, Zambales
Highest point
Peak	Mount Tapulao (aka High Peak),Zambales
Elevation	2,037 m (6,683 ft)
Coordinates	15°28′51″N120°7′16″E / 15.48083°N 120.12111°E
Dimensions
Length	180 km (110 mi)N-S
Geography
	Zambales Mountains topographic map
Country	Philippines
Provinces	Zambales; Pangasinan; Bataan; Tarlac; Pampanga;
Region	Central Luzon & Ilocos Region
Range coordinates	15°41′N120°05′E / 15.683°N 120.083°E

Last updated November 05, 2024

The Zambales Mountains is a mountain range on western Luzon island in the Philippines. The mountains spread along a north-south axis, separating Luzon's central plain from the South China Sea. The range extends into five provinces: Zambales, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bataan. One of its most prominent sections is known as the Cabusilan Mountain Range composed of Mount Pinatubo, Mount Negron and Mount Cuadrado, which are believed to be remnants of the ancestral Pinatubo peak. The highest elevation in the Zambales Mountains is Mount Tapulao, also known as High Peak, in Zambales province which rises to 2,037 metres (6,683 ft).

Extent

The Zambales Mountains has an area of 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi)^[1] extending North to South from the mountains of western Pangasinan province, the whole length of Zambales, to tip of the Bataan Peninsula in the south enclosing Manila Bay.^[2] The mountain range also encompasses the mountains in the municipalities of Bamban, Capas, San Jose, San Clemente, Mayantoc, Santa Ignacia, Camiling in the province of Tarlac. In Pampanga, it includes the mountains in Floridablanca, Porac, Lubao, Angeles City and Mabalacat.

Geology

The Zambales Mountains include Jurassic to Miocene ophiolite massifs, overlain by more recent sedimentary formation, including the Cagaluan Formation and the Santa Cruz Formation.^[3]

Volcanoes

Although the mountains are volcanic in origin,^[2] Mount Pinatubo is the only active volcano in the mountain range. Its eruption on June 15, 1991 was the second most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska. The volcanic eruption, which was complicated by the arrival of Typhoon Yunya, covered the region with thick volcanic ash and lahar including the U.S. military base at Clark Field near Angeles City.^[4]

Other volcanoes in Zambales Mountains are Mount Mariveles, Mount Natib and Mount Samat.

Protected areas

Peaks

List of highest peaks

Mount Tapulao 6,683 ft (2,037 m)
Mount Iba 5,430 ft (1,655 m)
Mount Negron 5,194 ft (1,583 m)
Mount Pinatubo 4,875 ft (1,486 m)
Mount Mariveles 4,554 ft (1,388 m)
Mount Cuadrado 4,344 ft (1,324 m)
Mount McDonald 4,334 ft (1,321 m)
Mount Natib 4,111 ft (1,253 m)
Mount Limay 2,984 ft (910 m)
Mount Dorst 2,785 ft (849 m)
Mount Samat 1,788 ft (545 m)
Mount Gates 1,663 ft (507 m)

River system

List of rivers in Zambales Mountains by length.

Tarlac River 95.2 km (59.2 mi)
Camiling River 93 km (58 mi)
Pasig–Potrero River 75 km (47 mi)
Bucao River 48.3 km (30.0 mi)
Santo Tomas River 46.4 km (28.8 mi)

Deforestation

The Zambales mountains have undergone immense deforestation due to excessive logging and swidden farming.^[5] The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo also devastated large areas of the range, mostly ancestral lands of the indigenous Aetas in Zambales.^[6] Reforestation efforts have had success in some barren parts of the range, notably in San Felipe, Zambales at the initiative of the Aeta people supported by MAD Travel and some government agencies.^[7]

Gallery

The Zambales Mountains is known for having pine trees, Pinus merkusii .^[8]
View from Mt. Tapulao overlooking the South China Sea in the distance
Mountainous barren landscape around the Camiling River watershed, Tarlac province
Upper Lawis River watershed, showing a jagged ridge
A trapped civet in the Zambales Mountains that was later released

Related Research Articles

Bataan, officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula on Luzon, Bataan is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north. The peninsula faces the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.

Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba, which is located in the middle of the province. Olongapo is the largest city of the province wherein it is geographically located but politically independent.

Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Tarlac, which is the most populous in the province. It is bounded on the north by the province of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija on the east, Zambales on the west, and Pampanga in the south. The province comprises three congressional districts and is subdivided into 17 municipalities and one city, Tarlac City, which is the provincial capital.

Central Luzon, designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales; and two highly urbanized cities, Angeles and Olongapo. San Jose del Monte is the most populous city in the region. The region contains the largest plain in the country and produces most of the country's rice supply, earning itself the nickname "Rice Granary of the Philippines". It is also the region to have the most number of provinces.

Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains in Luzon in the Philippines. Located on the tripoint of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces, most people were unaware of its eruptive history before the pre-eruption volcanic activity in early 1991. Dense forests, which supported a population of several thousand indigenous Aetas, heavily eroded and obscured Pinatubo.

Mount Arayat is an isolated potentially active stratovolcano in the Central Luzon plains, Philippines. Located within vast agricultural lands of Pampanga province, it rises prominently to a height of 1,033 metres (3,389 ft) above sea level. Its southern half lies within the municipality of Arayat, while its north half and summit lies within Magalang. Ten miles (16 km) to the west of Mount Arayat is Angeles City and the former Clark Air Base. The active volcano Mount Pinatubo is located 26 km (16 mi) west, while Manila is located 75 km (47 mi) to the south. Mount Arayat was officially declared a national park in 1933 and a tourist spot in 1997. The mountain is currently under an immense deforestation threat.

Aeta, Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon island in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, with whom they share superficial common physical characteristics such as: dark skin tones; short statures; frizzy to curly hair; and a higher frequency of naturally lighter hair colour (blondism) relative to the general population. They are thought to be among the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines—preceding the Austronesian migrations. Regardless, the modern Aeta populations have significant Austronesian admixture, and speak Austronesian languages.

San Felipe, officially the Municipality of San Felipe, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,033 people, making it the least populated municipality in the province.

Bamban, officially the Municipality of Bamban, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,260 people.

Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivisions and exclusive villages.

Tarlac City, officially the City of Tarlac, is a 1st class city and the capital of the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 385,398 people making it the most populous in the province.

The Agno River, also known as the Pangasinan River, is a river on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Traversing the provinces of Benguet, Pangasinan, and Tarlac, it is one of the largest river systems in the country, with a drainage area of 5,952 square kilometres (2,298 sq mi).

The Sambalic languages are a part of the Central Luzon language family spoken by the Sambals, an ethnolinguistic group on the western coastal areas of Central Luzon and the Zambales mountain ranges.

Mariveleño is a Sambalic language. It has around 500 speakers and is spoken within an Aeta community in Mariveles in the Philippines.

Mount Natib is a dormant stratovolcano and caldera complex in the Zambales Mountains on western Luzon Island of the Philippines. Occupying the northern portion of the Bataan Peninsula, the mountain and adjacent surrounding is a protected area first declared as the Bataan National Park in 1945.

Mount Mariveles is a dormant stratovolcano and the highest point in the province of Bataan in the Philippines. Mariveles and the adjacent Mount Natib comprise 80.9 percent of the total land area of the province. The mountain and adjacent cones lie opposite the city of Manila across Manila Bay, providing a beautiful setting for the sunsets seen from the city.

Lake Pinatubo is the summit crater lake of Mount Pinatubo formed after its climactic eruption on June 15, 1991. The lake is located in the Zambales Mountains, in Botolan, Zambales, near the boundaries of Pampanga and Tarlac provinces in the Philippines. It is about 90 km (56 mi) northwest of the capital city of Manila. While one paper by researchers from Japan suggested a depth of 600 m (2,000 ft), more detailed research suggests that 95–115 m (312–377 ft) is more accurate.

The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines' Luzon Volcanic Arc was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, behind only the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska. Eruptive activity began on April 2 as a series of phreatic explosions from a fissure that opened on the north side of Mount Pinatubo. Seismographs were set up and began monitoring the volcano for earthquakes. In late May, the number of seismic events under the volcano fluctuated from day-to-day. Beginning June 6, a swarm of progressively shallower earthquakes accompanied by inflationary tilt on the upper east flank of the mountain, culminated in the extrusion of a small lava dome.

Mount Tapulao is the highest mountain in the Zambales Mountain Range and in the province of Zambales in the Philippines. The peak, which rises to an elevation of 2,037 metres (6,683 ft) above sea level, and is located in the municipality of Palauig, Zambales. Its name is derived from the abundance of Sumatran Pine trees in the area, known in Zambal as tapolaw.

Mount Samat is a mountain in the town of Pilar, Bataan, Philippines. Located near its summit is the Mount Samat National Shrine, a national shrine dedicated to the fallen Filipino and American fallen during World War II.

References

↑ "Zambales Mountains". New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
1 2 Smith, Warren D. (1913). "Journal of Geology, Vol. 21 – The Geology of Luzon, P.I.", pp. 39–40. University of Chicago, Department of Geology.
↑ Dimalanta, C. B.; Salapare, R. C.; Faustino-Eslava, D. V.; Ramos, N. T.; Queaño, K. L.; Yumul, G. P.; Yang, T. F. (2015). "Post-emplacement history of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex: Insights from petrography, geochronology and geochemistry of Neogene clastic rocks". Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 104: 215–227. Bibcode:2015JAESc.104..215D. doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2014.07.021.
↑ McClelland, Lindsay, ed. (1991). "Report on Pinatubo (Philippines)". Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network. 16 (5). Smithsonian Institution. doi:10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199105-273083 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.
↑ Brechin, Steven R.; Wilshusen, Peter R.; Fortwangler, Crystal L.; West, Patrick C. (February 1, 2012). Contested Nature: Promoting International Biodiversity with Social Justice in the Twenty-first Century. State University of New York Press. p. 231. ISBN 978-0-7914-8654-2 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.
↑ McDermott, Melanie J. (1991). "Review of After Duwagan: Deforestation, Succession and Adaptation in Upland Luzon, Philippines". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 22 (2): 432–435. ISSN 0022-4634 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.
↑ Albano, Lou (July 25, 2024). "How the Aeta communities of San Felipe, Zambales came together to reforest their ancestral land". GMA News Online . Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
↑ Balete, Danilo S.; Heaney, Lawrence R.; Josefa Veluz, Maria; Rickart, Eric A. (November 2009). "Diversity patterns of small mammals in the Zambales Mts., Luzon, Philippines". Mammalian Biology. 74 (6). Study area. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2008.05.006 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.

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[CAPP-1] "Zambales Mountains". New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2021.

[Journal-2] 1 2 Smith, Warren D. (1913). "Journal of Geology, Vol. 21 – The Geology of Luzon, P.I.", pp. 39–40. University of Chicago, Department of Geology.

[3] Dimalanta, C. B.; Salapare, R. C.; Faustino-Eslava, D. V.; Ramos, N. T.; Queaño, K. L.; Yumul, G. P.; Yang, T. F. (2015). "Post-emplacement history of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex: Insights from petrography, geochronology and geochemistry of Neogene clastic rocks". Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 104: 215–227. Bibcode:2015JAESc.104..215D. doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2014.07.021.

[4] McClelland, Lindsay, ed. (1991). "Report on Pinatubo (Philippines)". Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network. 16 (5). Smithsonian Institution. doi:10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199105-273083 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.

[5] Brechin, Steven R.; Wilshusen, Peter R.; Fortwangler, Crystal L.; West, Patrick C. (February 1, 2012). Contested Nature: Promoting International Biodiversity with Social Justice in the Twenty-first Century. State University of New York Press. p. 231. ISBN 978-0-7914-8654-2 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.

[6] McDermott, Melanie J. (1991). "Review of After Duwagan: Deforestation, Succession and Adaptation in Upland Luzon, Philippines". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 22 (2): 432–435. ISSN 0022-4634 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.

[7] Albano, Lou (July 25, 2024). "How the Aeta communities of San Felipe, Zambales came together to reforest their ancestral land". GMA News Online . Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.

[Balete-etal-2009-8] Balete, Danilo S.; Heaney, Lawrence R.; Josefa Veluz, Maria; Rickart, Eric A. (November 2009). "Diversity patterns of small mammals in the Zambales Mts., Luzon, Philippines". Mammalian Biology. 74 (6). Study area. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2008.05.006 . Retrieved November 4, 2024.

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