The trench is located in the Philippine sea of the western North Pacific Ocean and continues NNW-SSE.
The central part of the Philippine fault formed during the Plio-Pleistocene times[15] is considered to be an active depression of the Earth's crust.
This caused a change in geological processes creating a subduction zone, that is dropping the ocean floor deeper.
[2] Sedimentation of the Philippine trench contains slightly metamorphosed, calc-alkalic, basic, ultrabasic rock and sand grains.
[16] The southern area of the trench contains homogeneous blue clay silt and is poor in lime.