A.

Continental Drift Theory The continental drift theory is the theory that once all the continents were joined in a supercontinent, which scientists call Pangaea. Over a vast period of time, the continents drifted apart to their current locations. It is Alfred Wegener who first supported continental drift. Wegeners explanation of continental drift in 1912 was that drifting occurred because of the earths rotation. This theory gained its popularity because of the theory of plate tectonics. Briefly, plate tectonics suggests that the ocean floor began to spread and that the continents existed on plates that moved in response to the changing ocean floor. Disruption in the continents, such as earthquakes, were a response to the moving plates. This suggests that certain points of the continents exhibit almost constant, though tiny, movements. The Philippines as well as the other continents are the result of the breaking of a vast mass of land. B. Land Bridges Theory A land bridge, in biogeography, is an isthmus or other land connection between what at other times are separate land masses which allows animals and plants to cross and colonise new lands. Land bridges are commonly created by regression, in which sea levels fall exposing previously submerged sections of continental shelf. Land bridges are also formed by: (a) upthrust at the edge of continental plates; and (b) glacial retreat alleviating pressure on shallow marine formations (e.g. the emergence of Oland, Sweden) Land bridge theory before the theory of plate tectonics, it was believed that land bridges could explain the occurrence of species in separate continents and the resemblances of geologic formations on different continents. Many land bridges were hypothesized, criss-crossing large areas of ocean. It was contends that the Philippines was once connected to mainland Asia by means of this. During the post-geological age, about 25, 000 years ago, the worlds ice melted causing the level of the seas to rise. This resulted in the submerging of the lower regions of the earth, including land-bridges, thereby separating the Philippines from the Asian mainland. C. Faulting and Folding The islands of the Philippines resulted from the faulting and folding of the earths crust brought about by violent earthquakes. Stress on the Earth's crust causes it to deform and change shape, creating distinct landforms. A fault is a crack in the Earth's crust where one side drops, leaving the other side higher. Folding takes place when the Earth's crust is compressed together. D. Volcanic Origin Theory Some geologists asserted that the Philippines was of volcanic origin. The eruption of sea volcanoes in remote times caused the emergence of the islands above the waters, and in this way the Philippines was born. The country was located near the rim of the Pacific Ocean which is the scene of much earthquake activity. Around the rim of the Pacific Ocean are many volcanoes. These volcanoes

are most typically found in the regions where subduction is taking place. The ring of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean is called the "Pacific Rim of Fire". The Philippines have experienced frequent seismic, and volcanic activities. Around 20 earthquakes are registered daily, though most are too weak to be felt.

E. The Philippines as a remnant of a vast continent. Geographical scientists opined that the Philippines was a remnant of a vast continent in the Pacific which in prehistoric times, sank beneath the water like the fabled Atlantis. This lost Pacific continent was known as Mu or Lemuria, and its remnants included aside from the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, the Malaccas, Java, Sumatra, the Carolines, Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and other islands in the Pacific.