Distaster Risk Reduction Reviewer
mainshock , are smaller earthquakes that
Module 5
How the Earth moves
The earth has four major layers:
inner core, outer core,mantle
crust and the top of the mantle-make
up a thin skin on the surface of our planet.
tectonic plates-puzzle pieces keep
slowly moving around, sliding past one
another and bumping into each other
plate boundaries-edges of the plates,
made up of many faults.
Subduction Zones- tectonic plates
converge. Pieces of crust that have been
moving in the surface of the planet for
millions of years
Subduction- causes a tectonic plate to
slide under another and sink into the
mantle because the denser oceanic crust
slides beneath the lighter continental
crust.
What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is what happens when
two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past
one another.
fault or fault plane-surface where they
slip.
Hypocenter-location below the earth’s
surface where the earthquake starts.
Epicenter-the location directly above it
on the surface of the earth
Foreshocks-smaller earthquakes that
happen in the same place as the larger
earthquake that follows.
Aftershocks- this follows after a
occur afterwards in the same place as the
mainshock
Why does the earth shake when
there's an earthquake?
- When the force of the moving
blocks finally overcomes the
friction of the jagged edges of the
fault and it unsticks, all that stored
up energy is released
- The energy radiates outward from
the fault in all directions in the form
of seismic waves like ripples on a
pond.
seismic waves- shake the earth as
they move through it, and when the
waves reach the earth’s surface
How are earthquakes recorded?
Seismographs- it is how
earthquakes are recorded ,The
recording they make is called a
seismogram.
Relevant discoveries: The Moving
Plates
In 1596, Dutch Cartographer Abraham
Ortelius noticed the similarities in the
continental coasts of Africa and South
America. He suggested that the two
continents were once connected and
only moved apart through time. In 1912,
Alfred Wegener, an interdisciplinary
scientist, proposed his theory of
continental drift, which he primarily based
on his observations of ancient rocks,
fossils and mountain ranges across the
Atlantic Ocean. His theory continued to
be art of the debates about large-scale
movement of Earth well into the 1960’s.
With further proof of plate tectonics done
in the modern-day studies conducted by
geologists around the world, it was found
out that the movements of the plates
continuously shape Earth and, as a
result, bring about Earthquakes and form
mountain ranges, among others. As
such, the entire Earth is subjected to
these movements, making earthquakes
and other geological hazards an ever-
present danger.
The Philippine Setting
Active faults
Geologists have classified active faults
as any fault that is likely to have another
earthquake sometime in the future. The
common consideration for a fault to be
active is if they have moved one or more
times in the last 10,000 years. The
Philippines is not free from these active
faults.
West and West Valley Fault-Rodriguez
(Rizal), San Mateo (Rizal), Marikina,
Pasig, Taguig, Muntinlupa, San Pedro,
Biñan, Carmona, Santa Rosa, Calamba,
Tagaytay, Oriental Mindoro
Western Philippine Fault-Luzon Sea,
Mindoro Strait, Panay Gulf, Sulu Sea
Central Philippines Fault-Ilocos Sur,
Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan,
Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Quezon, Masbate,
Eastern Leyte, Southern Leyte, Agusan
Del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao del
Norte, Davao Oriental.
Eastern Philippine Fault-Philippine
Sea
South of Mindanao Fault-Moro Gulf,
Celebes Sea
What we need to know about the
Valley Fault System?
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Director
Renato Solidum, Jr. discussed the
following facts about the Valley Fault
System and preventive measures for an
anticipated earthquake in Metro Manila.
- The West Valley Fault’s (WVS)
movement is mainly horizontal
- WVF’s movement interval is 400
years
- The last major earthquake from
the Valley Fault System
happened in 1658.
- A large earthquake from the WVF
can significantly affect Metro
Manila and its vicinity.
- If a magnitude 7.2 earthquake is
ever to occur in the WVF, given
Manila’s population of almost 10
million, PHIVOLCS estimates
about 35,000 fatalities and
113,600 injured.
- Since the earthquake may also
cause fire (secondary effect)
PHIVOLCS also estimate an
additional death by fire of 18,000
people
Earthquake Hazards
Ground shaking
 can be seen as both a hazard
created by earthquakes, and a
trigger for other hazards such as
liquefaction and landslides.
 the vibration of the ground when
an earthquake occurs, usually
recorded in terms of intensity
 the result of the shaking caused
by seismic waves passing
Earthquake-induced Landslides
 a wide range of ground movement
such as rock fall, rock slide debris
slide and shallow debris flow.
Typically, a magnitude 4.0
earthquake is strong enough to
trigger rock fall.
Contributing Factors are the following:
 Over-steepened slopes created
by erosion in rivers, glaciers or
ocean waves
 Rock and soil slopes weakened
through saturation by heavy rains
 Excess weight from accumulation
of rain or snow
 Weak slopes due to the
stockpiling of rock or ore from
waste piles of from human-made
structures
Liquefaction
 occurs when sand or soil and
groundwater are mixed during the
shaking of a moderate or strong
earthquake.
 Floodplains, sand bars,
abandoned river channels, coastal
areas, swamps, marshes, river
deltas and reclaimed lands are
highly susceptible to liquefaction.
Earthquake-induced subsidence
 happens only at the area
where the fault zone moves
 an offset of the ground surface
when fault rupture extends to
the surface
Tsunami
 giant waves caused by
earthquakes or volcanic eruptions
under the sea
 waves can reach speeds of up to
970km/hr – as fast as a jet
airplane.
 It is in these shallow waters that
the crest of a large tsunami can
exceed 30m (almost 10 floors
high) and strike down with
devastating force.
Be Prepared if there is a Tsunami
If you happen to notice that the coastline
recedes (falls back), and what you can
see is only sand for a distance of 500 to
1000 meters, that means there will be a
sudden surge or water moving inland.
When this happens, seek a higher
ground; you must be at least 30 meters
above sea level. If you cannot go up,
move far away from the coast – at least
be at a distance of 3.5 kilometers from
the shore. Wait for the authorities to give
the “all-clear” signal before leaving your
area of safe refuge.

 involves the settling or sinking of a

body of rock or sediment
 is a type of mass wasting, or mass
movement-transport of large
volumes of earth material primarily
by gravity.

Ground or Surface Rupture