Earthquake

 Earthquakes serve as evidence that Earth’s Crust is continually undergoing change.

 Shaking and trembling of earth that results from the sudden movement of Earth’s crust

Earth’s Crust Two Sections

a. Continental Crust - Makes up Earth’s landmasses
b. Oceanic Crust- Found in the ocean floor and usually thinner than continental crust

Some force is at work pushing and pulling on the crust causing changes on the surface and often well beneath the
surface
• This push-pull is called stress
• As rocks undergo stress, they slowly
change shape and volume.
• A rock to become more compressed
or squeezed - Becomes smaller in
volume
• A rock to stretch out over a large
area. - The volume increases
• The rock to twist or tear apart. -
Causes the formation of fault

Fault
- Fracture in rocks along which
movement occurred.
- Some faults may cause the ground to
crack, rise or lower.
Two blocks of a faulted rock
1. Hanging Wall - The block of rock above the fault
2. Foot Wall - The block of rock below the fault

Types of Fault
1. Active faults
- are structure where there is a displacement.
- Usually produce a shallow earthquake
- One that has moved in the past and
expected to move again.
2. Inactive Faults
- are structures that can be identified but
which do not cause earthquakes.
- If a fault has been inactive for million
years, it is safe to call it inactive.

Kinds of Fault
1. Normal Fault/Normal Dip-slip Fault
- If a stress pulls the rocks apart due to tension, the hanging wall will move down relative to the foot
wall.
2. Reverse Dip-slip Fault/ Thrust Fault
- If stress squeezed the rocks due to compression, the hanging wall will move up relative to the foot wall.
3. Strike – slip Fault/Wrench Fault
- The blocks move by sliding and slipping along each other horizontally but in opposite directions.
The motion along the faults can be explained by the PLATE TECTONIC THEORY
  Scientific breakthrough in the history of seismology
 To explain a number of peculiar phenomena on earth
o the apparent movement of continents over time
o the clustering of volcanic activity in certain areas
o the presence of huge ridges at the bottom of the ocean
o Philippines has several fault lines
o Faults and trenches are found in the entire country
o Trenches are the deepest part of the oceans and are usually V-Shaped.
Faulting - The most common cause of earthquake
During Faulting
• Energy is released as the rocks break and move.
• As they move, they cause the nearby rocks to move also.
• The rocks continue to move this way until the energy is used up.
Tsunami
• Giant ocean wave cause by earthquake that occur on the ocean floor.
• These waves can travel at speed of 700 – 800km/h.
• Can be as high as 10 – 20 meters (as they approach the coast).
• The effects are devastating
• One of the world’s worst natural disasters

Parts of the Earthquake

Focus (hypocenter)
• The point/region where an earthquake
ruptures and the rocks break
• Underground point of origin of an
Earthquake.
Epicenter
• The point on Earth’s surface directly
above the focus
• This where the most violent shaking
of the ground occurs.
Focal depth
• The distance between the focus and
the epicenter

Earthquake Waves (Seismic Waves)

• Are the waves of energy caused by
the sudden breaking of rock within the Earth or an explosion.
• They are the energy that travels through Earth and is recorded on seismographs.

Main type of Seismic Waves

A. Body Waves
- move through the inner part of the earth
There are two main types of body waves.
1. Primary waves, also called P waves or
compressional waves, travel about 1 to 5 miles
per second, depending on the material they're
moving through
o This speed is greater than the speed of other
waves, so P waves arrive first at any surface
location
o They can travel through solid, liquid and
gas, and so will pass completely through the
body of the earth.
 o As they travel through rock, the waves move tiny rock particles back and forth -- pushing them
apart and then back together -- in line with the direction the wave is traveling
2. Secondary waves, also called S waves or shear
waves, lay a little behind the P waves
o As these waves move, they displace rock
particles outward, pushing them
perpendicular to the path of the waves
o This results in the first period of rolling
associated with earthquakes. Unlike P
waves, S waves don't move straight through
the earth
o They only travel through solid material, and
so are stopped at the liquid layer in the
earth's core.

B. Surface waves
Surfaces waves are something like the waves in a body of
water -- they move the surface of the earth up and down
 This generally causes the worst damage because
the wave motion rocks the foundations of
manmade structures
 L waves are the slowest moving of all waves, so the
most intense shaking usually comes at the end of an
earthquake.
Two types of Surface Waves
1. Rayleigh waves – circular motion
2. Love waves – horizontal motion

Seismology
 The exact speed of P and S waves varies depending on the composition of the material they're traveling
through, the ratio between the speeds of the two waves will remain relatively constant in any earthquake. P
waves generally travel 1.7 times faster than S waves.
 Using this ratio, scientists can calculate the distance between any point on the earth's surface and the
earthquake's focus, the breaking point where the vibrations originated
 They do this with a seismograph, a machine that registers the different waves
 To find the distance between the seismograph and the focus, scientists also need to know the time the
vibrations arrived
 With this information, they simply note how much time passed between the arrival of both waves and then
check a special chart that tells them the distance the waves must have traveled based on that delay.
Richter Scale rating and Mercalli Scale rating
 These two ratings describe the power of the earthquake from two different perspectives.
 o The Richter Scale is used to rate the
magnitude of an earthquake -- the amount
of energy it released
o This is calculated using information
gathered by a seismograph.
 Richter ratings only give you a rough idea of the
actual impact of an earthquake
 The extent of damage is rated on the Mercalli
Scale An earthquake's destructive power varies
depending on the composition of the ground in an
area and the design and placement of manmade
structures
 Mercalli ratings, which are given as Roman
numerals, are based on largely subjective
interpretations
 A low intensity earthquake, one in which only
some people feel the vibration and there is no

significant property damage, is rated as a II

 The highest rating, a XII, is applied
only to earthquakes in which Richter Effects Near Epicenter
structures are destroyed, the ground is Magnitude
cracked and other natural disasters, 2.0 and below Generally not felt, but recorded
such as landslides or Tsunamis, are
initiated 2.0 – 2.9 Potentially perceptible
An earthquake may be described in two
ways: intensity and magnitude. The intensity 3.0 – 3.9 Felt by some
of an earthquake gives us an idea of how 4.0 – 4.9 Felt by most
strong or weak the shaking is or simply by
describing the effects of earthquake on people 5.0 – 5.9 Damaging Shocks
or surroundings. The Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and seismology (PHIVOLCS) 6.0 – 6.9 Destructive in populous regions
uses the PEIS or PHILVOLCS Earthquake 7.0 – 7.9 Major earthquake; inflict serious
Intensity Scale to describe the intensity of damage
earthquakes in the Philippines.
8.0 and above Great earthquake; Destroys
communities near epicenter
 Another way of describing the strength of an earthquake is by magnitude. The Richter scale – also called the
Richter magnitude scale is a measure of the energy released. The greater the magnitude, the stronger the
earthquake.
To distinguish the two, intensity is expressed using Roman Numeral (I, II, II) while magnitude uses Hindu-
Arabic numerals (2, 3, 4)

Safety Precautions Before, During and After an Earthquake

What to Do Before an Earthquake
 Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries at home.
 Learn first aid.
 Learn how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity.
 Make up a plan of where to meet your family after an earthquake.
 Don't leave heavy objects on shelves (they'll fall during a quake).
 Anchor heavy furniture, cupboards, and appliances to the walls or floor.
 Learn the earthquake plan at your school or workplace.
What to Do During an Earthquake
 Stay calm! If you're indoors, stay inside. If you're outside, stay outside.
 If you're indoors, stand against a wall near the center of the building, stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture
(a desk or table). Stay away from windows and outside doors.
 If you're outdoors, stay in the open away from power lines or anything that might fall. Stay away from buildings (stuff
might fall off the building or the building could fall on you).
 Don't use matches, candles, or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire don't mix.
 If you're in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the earthquake stops.
 Don't use elevators (they'll probably get stuck anyway).
What to Do After an Earthquake
 Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid for anyone who needs it.
 Check water, gas, and electric lines for damage. If any are damaged, shut off the valves. Check for the smell of gas. If
you smell it, open all the windows and doors, leave immediately, and report it to the authorities (use someone else's
phone).
 Turn on the radio. Don't use the phone unless it's an emergency.
 Stay out of damaged buildings.
 Be careful around broken glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy shoes to keep from cutting your feet.
 Be careful of chimneys (they may fall on you).
 Stay away from beaches. Tsunamis and seiches sometimes hit after the ground has stopped shaking.
 Stay away from damaged areas.
 If you're at school or work, follow the emergency plan or the instructions of the person in charge.
 Expect aftershocks