FINAL TERM – GEOG 1: An earthquake is the shaking of the ground caused by

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY sudden motions along faults pr fractures in the earth’s crust.

WEEK 15: SEISMOLOGY i. FOCUS – the point within the earth where an
earthquake rupture starts.
In ocean floor, earthquake is prominent. - Sa ilalim ng crust
ii. EPICENTER – the point at the surface of the earth
WHAT IS EARTHQUAKE? directly above the focus
iii. FAULT – a fracture in the rocks that make up the
- It is a sudden movement of the ground that release
earth’s crust.
elastic energy stored in tocks and generate seismic
- Hindi lahat ng fault is active, but where
waves.
there is convection current happen, they
o The catastrophism idea
became active again.
- Seismic waves are those waves move outward from
iv. PLATES – massive rocks that make up the outer
the “source” and vibrate and grounds.
layer of the earth’s surface and whose movement
o In earthquake, kailangan din ng medium
along faults triggers earthquake.
(which is rocks) to travel.
v. SEISMIC WAVES – wave or the vibration that
transmit the energy released by an earthquake
ANATOMY OF AN EARTHQUAKE
CLASSIFICATION OF EARTHQUAKE

a. Tectonic Earthquake
Earthquake occur when the plates move
against one another. This movement can create
stress that causes the Earth's exterior shell, the
lithosphere, to shift or break
b. Volcanic Earthquake
Earthquake induced by rising lava or
magma beneath active volcanoes are called
volcanic earthquakes.
c. Explosive Earthquake
Result from the explosion of nuclear &
chemical devices.
d. Collapse Earthquake
Are small earthquakes in underground
caverns & mines.

CLASSIFICATION OF SEISMIC WAVE

Earthquake produces two types of seismic waves

a. Body Wave
b. Surface Wave

a. BODY WAVES - these are elastic waves that

propagate through the earth's interior.
i. P Waves - the fastest kind of seismic
wave, and the consequently the first to
arrive at a seismic station.

ii. S Waves - the second wave you feel in an

earthquake.
- it moves the particles up &
down.

b. SURFACE WAVE - these are waves that travel

through crust and has a lower frequency compare
to body waves.

i. Love Waves
- Named after A.E.H. Love, a
British Mathematician.
- It is a fastest surface wave and
moves the ground crust from
side-to-side.
- Love waves produce horizontal
motion.
 ii. Rayleigh Waves B. WESTERN PHILIPPPINE FAULT
- Named after John William Strutt, 1. Luzon Sea
Lord Rayleigh who 2. Mindoro Straight
mathematically predicted this 3. Panay Gulf
kind of wave. 4. Sulu Sea
- Because it rolls along ground, it
moves the ground up & down, C. EASTERN PHILIPPINE FAULT
side to side in the same 1. Philippine Sea
direction.
D. SOUTH OF MINDANAO FAULT
1. Moro Gulf
2. Celebes Sea
WHAT CAUSES EARTHQUAKE?

MOVEMENTS OF THE PLATES E. CENTRAL OF PHILIPPINE FAULT

1. Ilocos Sur 8. Masbate
Abraham Ortelius, a Dutch Cartographers during 2. Ilocos Norte 9. Eastern Leyte
late 1500's, noticed that some of the boundaries of 3. La Union 10. Southern Leyte
continents seem to fit into of other continents. 4. Pangasinan 11. Agusan Del Norte
5. Nueva Ecija 12. Agusan Del Sur
Alfred Wegener, concluded it's because of
6. Aurora 13. Davao Del Norte
Continental Drift Theory, "States that the continents are
7. Quezon 14. Davao Oriental
moving and once joined in one or together then broke up
drifting to their current position."

Harry Hess, a geologist in 1960 and an officer of THE EARTHQUAKE HAZARD

the United States Navy during World War II who postulate
the Seafloor Spreading Theory, suggested that the ocean Earthquake hazards are generally classified as primary
floor can be viewed as conveyor belt - calculated the & secondary hazards.
spreading at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge - approximately 2.52
centimeters per year. 1. Primary Earthquake Hazards
- are the direct results of the movement of
1. Active Faults the ground.
- Geologist have classified active faults that - Ex. Ground Shaking, Landslides,
is likely to have another earthquake Liquefaction, Surface Rupture
sometime in the future. The common
consideration for a fault to be active is if 2. Secondary Earthquake Hazard
they have moved one or more times in the - earthquake hazards are those that are
last 10 000 years. The Philippines is not caused by the primary hazards, and may
free from these active faults. often be more catastrophic:
- Ex. Tsunami, Flooding, Seiches, Fire
2. Subduction Zones
- These are the areas where tectonic plates
converge. These plates are pieces of crust PRIMARY EARTHQUAKE HAZARD
that have been moving in the surface of
the planet for millions of years. Tectonic - Potential Hazard brought about by sudden
plate may be made up of a single type of movement.
crust or a combination of continental
crust. a. GROUND SHAKING
- Ground shaking is described as
vibration of the ground when an
earthquake occurs, usually recorded in
ACTIVE FAULTS IN PHILIPPINES
terms of intensity.
A. WEST & EAST VALLEY FAULT - Most of the damage from earthquakes is
1. Rodriguez, Rizal 13. Oriental Mindoro the results from the shaking caused by
2. San Mateo,Rizal seismic waves
3. Marikina
4. Pasig b. LIQUEFACTION
5. Taguig - Liquefaction occurs when sand or soil
6. Muntinlupa and underground water mixed during
7. San Pedro the shaking of a moderator to strong
8. Binan earthquake.
9. Carmona - When the two are mixed, ground
10. Santa Rosa becomes very soft and exhibits
11. Calamba properties similar to that of a quicksand.
12. Tagaytay
 c. SURFACE RAPTURE
- When an earthquake event occurs,
ground rupture happens only at the
area where the fault zone moves.
- Surface rupture is an offset of the
ground surface when fault rupture
extends to the surface.
- Any structure built across the fault is at
risk of being tom apart as the two sides
if the fault slip past each other
d. LANDSLIDES
- Strong earthquake and ground shaking
greatly increase the likelihood of
landslides in areas susceptible to
ground failure.
- If the ground is saturated with water, the
shaking will result in more landslides.
- Landslides includes a wide range of
ground movements such as rock fall,
rock slide, debris slide & shallow debris
flow.
SECONDARY EARTHQUAKE HAZARD
- Potential Hazard brought about after an
earthquake
a. TSUNAMI
- Tsunami comes from a Japanese word
which means "Harbor Wave". Are long
wavelength oceanic waves generated by
the sudden displacement of seawater
caused by earthquake.
- Series of waves may be produced which
can travel long distances at high speeds
which can cause flooding and destruction
to properties. The heights of the wave
may vary and may be affected by seafloor
depth, shape and magnitude of an
earthquake.
TSUNAMI ALERTS
b. SEICHE
- A seiche is a standing wave in an enclosed
or partially-enclosed body of water.
Triggered by earthquake waves, seiches
and seiche-related phenomena have
been observed on lakes, reservoirs,
swimming pools, bays, harbor, and seas.
- The key requirement for seiche formation
is that the body of water must be at least
partially bounded, allowing the formation
of standing wave.
c. FLOODING
- Flooding is an overflowing of water onto
land that is normally dry. Floods can
happen during heavy rains, when ocean
waves come on shore, when snow melts
quickly, or when dams or levees break.
- Damaging flooding may happen with
only a few inches of water, or it may cover
a house to the rooftop.
d. FIRE
- A major secondary hazard associated with
earthquake has been the possibility of fire
breaking after an earthquake.
- In today's world, most fires were the result
of candles or lanterns that were tipped
over because of earthquakes.
- A perfect example of this is the 1995 Kobe
Earthquake in Japan where hundreds of
fires broke out but water was unavailable
due to broken water mains.
HOW ARE EARTHQUAKE RECORDED?
Seismology is a scientific discipline that studies
earthquake and the propagation of seismic waves through
the Earth.

ALERT NAME ACTIONS POTENTIAL Seismograph & Seismometer are both devices
HAZARDS may detect and measure seismic waves.
WARNING Be prepared TSUNAMI IS POSSIBLE
to take action. Alert level may change Seismograph possesses the capacity to record the
Stay tuned to more information is phenomena.
local known
radio/TV/ A record produced by a seismograph on a display
NOAA "alert" screen or paper print out is called seismogram.
weather
radios
ADVISORY Stay out of the STRONG CURRENTS
water and AND DANGEROUS INTENSITY VS. MAGNITUDE
away from the WAVES in or very near
shore coastal water Wave Magnitude is a measure of earthquake size and
heights of 1-3
Be prepared TSUNAMI IS POSSIBLE
remains unchanged with distance from the earthquake.
WATCH
to take action. Alert level may change
Stay tuned to more information is Intensity, however, describes the degree of
local known shaking caused by an earthquake at a given place and
radio/TV/ decreases with distance from the earthquake epicenter.
NOAA "alert"
weather
radios
INFORMATION No action NO TSUNAMI IMPACT
STATEMENT needed EXPECTED Alert level
may change once more
information is known
 RICHTER SCALE & MODIFIED MERCALLI SCALE
Richter Scale measures the magnitude of an
earthquake on a ten (10) point scale. In 1935, Charles
Richter introduced the concept of earthquake magnitude.
RICHTER SCALE MODIFIED MECALLI SCALE
2.5 – Generally not I. - Felt by almost no one.
felt, but recorded II. - Felt by very few of people
by seismograph III. terror occurred by people, but
they often do ot realize it is an
earthquake
3.5 – felt by many IV. – Felt indoors by many. Feels
people like a truch gas struck in the
building.
4.5- some local V. – Felt by nearly everyone, many
damage may occur people awakened. Swaying trees
and poles may be observed.
6.0 - a destructive VI. – Felt by all; many people run
earthquake outdoors. Furniture moved; slight
damage occurs.
7.0 – a major VII. - Everyone runs outdoor.
earthquake Poorly built structures
considerably damage, slight
damage elsewhere.
8.0 and up – great VIII. – Specially designed
earthquakes structures damaged slightly other
collapse.
IX. – All buildings considerably
damaged, many sluts
foundations. Noticeable cracks I
ground.
X. – Many structures destroyed.
Ground is badly cracked.
XI. – Almost all structures fall. Very
wide cracks in ground.
XII. – Total destruction. Waves on
ground surface. Objects are
tumbled and tossed.
awakened. Vibration is felt
like a passing of heavy truck.
Hanging objects swing
considerably. Dinner, plates,
glasses, windows and doors
rattle. Floors and walls of
wood framed buildings
creak. Standing motor cars
may rock slightly. Liquids in
containers are slightly
disturbed. Water in
containers oscillate strongly.
Rumbling sound may
sometimes be heard.
V Strong Generally felt by most
people indoors and
outdoors. Many sleeping
people are awakened. Some
are frightened, some run
outdoors. Strong shaking
and rocking felt throughout
building. Hanging objects
swing violently. Dining
utensils clatter and clink;
some are broken. Small, light
and unstable objects may fall
or overturn.
Liquids spill from filled open
off containers. Standing
vehicles rock noticeably.
Shaking of leaves and twigs
of trees are noticeable.
VI Very Strong Many people are frightened;
many run outdoors. Some
people lose their balance.
motorists feel like driving in
flat tires. Heavy objects or
furniture move or may be
shifted.

Modified Mercalli Scale which measures intensity Small church bells may ring.
of how strong the effects of the earthquakes are. Wall plaster may crack. Very
old or poorly built houses
Intensity Shaking Description and man-made structures
Scale are slightly damaged though
I Scarcely Perceptible to people under well-built structures are not
Perceptible favorable circumstances. affected.
Delicately balanced objects
are disturbed slightly. Still Limited rockfalls and rolling
Water in containers oscillates boulders occur in hilly to
slowly. mountainous areas and
II Slightly Felt Felt by few individuals at rest escarpments. Trees are
indoors. Hanging objects noticeably shaken.
swing slightly. Still Water in VII Destructive Most people are frightened
containers oscillates and run outdoors. People
noticeably. find it difficult to stand in
III Weak Felt by many people indoors upper floors. Heavy objects
especially in upper floors of and furniture overturn or
buildings. Vibration is felt like topple. Big church bells may
one passing of a light truck. ring. Old or poorly-built
Dizziness and nausea are structures suffer
experienced by some considerable damage. Some
people. Hanging objects well-built structures are
swing moderately. Still water slightly damaged.
in containers oscillates
moderately. Some cracks may appear on
IV Moderately Felt generally by people dikes, fish ponds, road
Strong indoors and by some people surface, or concrete hollow
outdoors. Light sleepers are block walls. Limited
 liquefaction, lateral
spreading and landslides are
observed.
Trees are shaken strongly.
(Liquefaction is a process by
which loose saturated sand
lose strength during an
earthquake and behave like
liquid).
VIII Very People are panicky. People
Destructive find it difficult to stand even
outdoors. Many well-built
buildings are considerably
damaged. Concrete dikes
and foundation of bridges
are destroyed by ground
settling or toppling. Railway
tracks are bent or broken.
Tombstones may be
displaced, twisted or
overturned.
Utility posts, towers and
monuments mat tilt or
topple. Water and sewer
pipes may be bent, twisted
or broken.
Liquefaction and lateral
spreading cause man- made
structure to sink, tilt or
topple. Numerous landslides
and rockfalls occur in
mountainous and hilly areas.
Boulders are thrown out
from their positions
particularly near the
epicenter.
Fissures and faults rapture
may be observed. Trees are
violently shaken. Water
splash or stop over dikes or
banks of rivers.
IX Devastating People are forcibly thrown to
ground. Many cry and shake
with fear. Most buildings are
totally damaged. bridges
and elevated concrete
structures are toppled or
destroyed.
Numerous utility posts,
towers and monument are
tilted, toppled or broken.
Water sewer pipes are bent,
twisted or broken.
Landslides and liquefaction
with lateral spreadings and
sandboils are widespread.
the ground is distorted into
undulations.
Trees are shaken very
violently with some toppled
or broken. Boulders are
commonly thrown out. River
water splashes violently on
slops over dikes and banks.
X Completely Practically all man-made
Devastating structures are destroyed.
Massive landslides and
liquefaction, large scale
subsidence and uplifting of
land forms and many ground
fissures are observed.
Changes in river courses and
destructive seiches in large
lakes occur. Many trees are
toppled, broken and
uprooted.
The intensity varies based on the relative position
to the epicenter of the earthquake.
Department of Science and Technology
PHIVOLCS
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
• About PHIVOLCS
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
(PHIVOLCS) is a service institute of the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) that is principally
mandated to mitigate disasters that may arise from volcanic
eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami and other related
geotectonic phenomena
• Vision
A leading global science and technology institution of
empowered men and women helping develop
communities safe from and resilient to volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, tsunamis and other related hazards.
• Mission
We provide timely, quality and socially-inclusive information
and services for warning, disaster preparedness and
mitigation. This we do through the development and
application of technologies for the monitoring and accurate
prediction of, and determination of areas prone to, volcanic
eruptions, earthquakes tsunamis and other related hazards,
and gender-responsive capacity enhancement for
comprehensive disaster risk reduction.
• MANDATES
- Predict the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and
earthquakes and their related geotectonic
phenomena.
- Determine how eruptions and earthquakes shall
occur and also areas likely to be affected.
- Generate sufficient data for forecasting volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes.
- Mitigate hazards of volcanic activities through
appropriate detection, forecast and warning
system.
- Formulate appropriate disaster preparedness
plans.