DRRR WEEK 1

JARULE MATTHEW S. DEL PILAR 11-STEM LEO

ACTIVITY 1
1999 CHERRY HILLS SUBDIVISION LANDSLIDE
ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 2, 1999, A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE OCCURRED
IN CHERRY HILLS SUBDIVISION IN ANTIPOLO, RIZAL
PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES THAT RESULTED TO ABOUT 60 DEATH TOLL AND 378
HOUSES BURIED. THE LANDSLIDE WAS PRIMARILY CAUSED BY THE HEAVY
RAINS OF THE APPROACHING TYPHOON OLGA. THE SUBDIVISION BECAME A
DEATH TRAP WHEN ITS FOUNDATIONS WAS FILLED WITH WATER AND THE
WHOLE COMPLEX SLID DOWN THE HILL ON WHICH IT WAS BUILT.
OVERVIEW
TOPOGRAPHY
CHERRY HILLS SUBDIVISION WAS HOME TO HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES PAYING-
OFF LOW COST, CONCRETE HOUSES. THE SUBDIVISION WAS OWNED AND
DEVELOPED BY TIRSO SANTILLAN, PRESIDENT OF PHILJAS CORPORATION. THE
SUBDIVISION WAS LOCATED IN ANTIPOLO, RIZAL AND WAS SITUATED IN AN
ELEVATED TERRAIN CUT ALONG THE PERCHES OF THE SIERRA MADRE
MOUNTAINS.
BESIDES ITS LOCATION ON THE MOUNTAIN CUTS, CHERRY HILL WAS FLANKED
BY TWO SUBDIVISION ON ITS EITHER SIDES. THE EASTERN SUMMIT IS AT
ELEVATION OF 255 METERS WHILE THE WESTERN SIDE IS AT ELEVATION OF 233
METERS. THE SUBDIVISION CUT FROM THE MOUNTAIN SIDE IS APPROXIMATELY
26 METERS AT ITS DEEPEST.[3]
THE SUBDIVISION ENCOMPASSES FIVE HECTARES WITH PAVED ROADS. THE
SUBDIVISION CONSISTED OF LIGHT-ROOFED ONE OR TWO-STOREY HOUSES WITH
HOLLOW BLOCK WALL CONSTRUCTION THAT ARE EITHER SINGLE-DETACHED
OR ROW HOUSES.
2006 SOUTHERN LEYTE MUDSLIDE
ON 17 FEBRUARY 2006, A MASSIVE ROCK SLIDE-DEBRIS AVALANCHE OCCURRED
IN THE PHILIPPINE PROVINCE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE, CAUSING WIDESPREAD
DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE. THE DEADLY LANDSLIDE (OR DEBRIS FLOW)
FOLLOWED A 10-DAY PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN AND A
MINOR EARTHQUAKE (MAGNITUDE 2.6 ON THE RICHTER SCALE). THE OFFICIAL
DEATH TOLL WAS 1,126.
OVERVIEW
AT AROUND 10:30 ON FEBRUARY 17, 2006, A CLIFF FACE OF A RIDGE STRADDLING
THE PHILIPPINE FAULT COLLAPSED IN A COMBINATION ROCKSLIDE-DEBRIS
MASS MOVEMENT EVENT, TRANSLOCATING AND SUBSEQUENTLY BURYING
GUINSAUGON VILLAGE IN THE TOWNSHIP OF SAINT BERNARD.[2] UP TO TEN
SMALLER LANDSLIDES HAD OCCURRED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS WEEK IN THE
VICINITY OF ST. BERNARD, BUT GUINSAUGON WAS THE WORST-HIT
COMMUNITY.
AMONG THE WORST OF THE TRAGEDIES WAS THE BURIAL OF THE
LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LOCATED NEAREST TO THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE,
AS THE LANDSLIDE OCCURRED WHEN SCHOOL WAS IN SESSION AND FULL OF
CHILDREN. PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR ROSETTE LERIAS SAID AT THE TIME THE
SCHOOL HAD 246 STUDENTS AND SEVEN TEACHERS; ONLY A CHILD AND AN
ADULT WERE RESCUED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DISASTER TRANSPIRED.
ABOUT 80 WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE FIFTH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE GUINSAUGON WOMEN'S HEALTH ASSOCIATION WERE
ALSO LOST IN THE LANDSLIDE.
LERIAS SAID THAT ALTHOUGH SEVERAL RESIDENTS HAD LEFT THE AREA THE
WEEK BEFORE DUE TO THE FEAR OF LANDSLIDES, SEVERAL OF THEM HAD
RETURNED WHEN THE RAINS HAD EASED.
ACTIVITY 2
GEOLOGICAL NATURAL HAZARDS SUCH AS EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANIC
ERUPTIONS ARE TRIGGERED BY ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE IN THE EARTH'S
INTERIOR. GRAVITATIONAL NATURAL HAZARDS ARE DEFINED AS
LANDSLIDES, ROCKFALL, DEBRIS FLOWS OR AVALANCHES, SINCE ROCK, MUD
OR SNOW MASSES SLIDE DOWN THE SLOPE DUE TO GRAVITY. THEY CAN BE
CAUSED BY EARTHQUAKES OR BY EXTREME WEATHER
CONDITIONS. METEOROLOGICAL NATURAL HAZARDS ARE WEATHER-
RELATED HAZARDS SUCH AS HEAT, DROUGHT, FOREST FIRES, STORMS, FLOODS,
HIGH WATER OR HEAVY RAIN.
ACTIVITY 3

ONE WAY THAT SINKHOLES FORM IS WHEN WATER (RAIN) IN THE ATMOSPHERE
REACTS WITH CARBON DIOXIDE AND FORMS A WEAK CARBONIC ACID. THEN,
THE SLIGHTLY ACIDIC RAINWATER THAT FALLS TO THE GROUND SEEPS INTO
SEDIMENT LIKE LIMESTONE. THESE ROCKS TEND TO ALREADY HAVE SMALL
FISSURES—AND THE ACIDIC RAINWATER DISSOLVES AWAY MORE ROCK TO
EXPAND THOSE FISSURES. EVENTUALLY, THIS EROSION CREATES AIR-FILLED OR
WATER-FILLED POCKETS. WHEN THOSE POCKETS GET BIG ENOUGH, THEY’RE
CATEGORIZED AS CAVES OR VOIDS. HERE’S WHERE THINGS START TO GET
SINKHOLEY (WE KNOW THAT’S NOT A REAL WORD, WE JUST LIKE TO SAY IT).

 
BASICALLY, THE LARGER AN UNDERGROUND VOID GETS, THE LESS LIKELY IT
CAN SUPPORT ITS CEILING. WHEN THE CEILING OF A VOID WEAKENS TO THE
POINT THAT IT COLLAPSES, THAT’S WHEN IT’S KNOWN AS A SINKHOLE.

 SINCE THIS ALL HAPPENS UNDERGROUND, IT CAN BE HARD TO SPOT A

POTENTIAL SINKHOLE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE SINCE SOME SINKHOLES
PROVIDE NO SURFACE EXPRESSIONS (OR EVIDENCE ON THE SURFACE)
HOWEVER, MANY SINKHOLES DO SHOW SURFACE EXPRESSIONS BEFOREHAND—
WHICH YOU CAN USE TO AVOID POTENTIAL DANGER.

 HERE ARE THE 7 MOST COMMON SIGNS A SINKHOLE MAY APPEAR:

1. A ROUND CIRCULAR DEPRESSION IN THE EARTH:

BEFORE THE CEILING OF A VOID COLLAPSES COMPLETELY, IT TENDS TO DROOP

OR DEPRESS. THESE DEPRESSIONS USUALLY HAVE A CIRCULAR SHAPE.  

  2. LOCALIZED SUBSIDENCE OR DEPRESSION ANYWHERE ON THE PROPERTY:

IN OTHER WORDS, AN AREA THAT HAS DROPPED DOWN RELATIVE TO THE

SURROUNDING LAND.

  3. A CIRCULAR LAKE (OR A LARGE, DEEP PUDDLE): 

THIS CAN BE INDICATIVE OF A SINKHOLE THAT HAS OPENED UP AND BEEN

FILLED WITH WATER.

  4. A FOUNDATION SETTLING:

IF PART OF THE STRUCTURE STARTS DROPPING DOWN AND CRACKING, THIS

COULD BE A SIGN OF A SINKHOLE FORMING UNDER A HOUSE OR BUILDING.
CRACKING IN YOUR FOUNDATION COULD ALSO BE THE RESULT OF EXPANDING
CLAY. TO BE SURE THAT YOUR FOUNDATION IS AT PROPER LEVELS, MEASURE
THE THICKNESS OF YOUR FOUNDATION AND HOW FAR BENEATH THE SURFACE
IT GOES. COMPARE YOUR MEASUREMENTS AGAINST YOUR LOCAL BUILDING
CODES. IF YOUR FOUNDATION IS BELOW THE LEVEL SPECIFIED IN YOUR
BUILDING CODE, YOU MAY WANT TO EMPLOY SOME OF GEOPHYSICAL TESTS TO
BE SURE.
5. CRACKS IN ROADS OR PAVEMENT:

CROCODILE CRACKS (OR ALLIGATOR CRACKS, IF YOU PREFER) IN ASPHALT AND

PAVEMENT CAN APPEAR FOR SEVERAL REASONS. ONE REASON COULD BE THAT
THERE ARE ISSUES DEVELOPING IN THE SUBGRADE. 

6. A SUDDEN DROP OF WELL WATER LEVELS ON A SITE:

THIS IS GOOD TO CHECK OUT EVEN WHEN THERE’S NO SURFACE EXPRESSION. A

DROP IN WELL LEVELS COULD INDICATE A SINKHOLE OPENING UP AND
CHANGING THE WATER TABLE BENEATH THE SITE.

  7. RAINWATER DISAPPEARING INTO GROUND OPENINGS:

A SMALL OPENING IN THE GROUND THAT RAINWATER SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR

INTO COULD MEAN IT’S ENTERING AN UNDERGROUND VOID.