EARTHQUAKE

An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one
another. The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane.

ELASTIC REBOUND THEORY

Elastic rebound refers to what happens to the rocks on both sides of a fault during an
earthquake as they accumulate potential energy and deform under pressure. The built-
up energy is released when an earthquake occurs and the tectonic plates exhibit their
elastic properties and they snap back to their original form.

FAULT
Faults are cracks in the earth's crust along which there is movement. These can be
massive (the boundaries between the tectonic plates themselves) or very small. If
tension builds up along a fault and then is suddenly released, it creates an earthquake.

Faults are classified according to the direction of relative movement along the fault.

Normal faulting occurs when two plates

move away from each other, causing one to
slide down relative to the other.

Reverse /thrust falling is when the plates

are compressed, or pushed together,
reverse or thrust faulting occurs. This
means that one plate was pushed up onto
another plate.

In strike-slip faulting, the two plates are

moving horizontally past one another like
cars going in opposite directions on a
highway.
 FOCUS OR HYPOCENTER
The focus or hypocenter is the location below the
earth’s surface where the rock first breaks creating
an earthquake.

EPICENTER
The point on the surface of the earth directly above
the focus is called the epicenter.

SEISMIC WAVES
The energy released from the hypocenter of an earthquake travels as seismic waves.
There are different kinds of seismic waves distinguished on where and how they move.

Primary waves or P-waves are body waves in which the particles of the material
move back and forth parallel to the direction of wave motion. It is a compressional
wave.
Secondary waves or S-waves are body waves where the particles of the material
move back and forth perpendicular to the direction of wave motion. They are also
referred to as shear waves.
Waves that travel along the Earth's surface are called surface waves.
Rayleigh waves are surface waves that cause the ground to ripple up and down.
Love waves are surface waves that cause the ground to move back and forth in a
snake-like movement.
Seismic waves have different velocities. P-waves travel the fastest, followed by S-
waves. The surface waves are the slowest.
SEISMOGRAPH
The instrument that detects and records the ground motion from an earthquake is
called a seismograph and the record is called a seismogram. Seismographs consist
of a heavy mass suspended on a spring and a rotating drum that records the motion.
When the earth shakes from an earthquake, the drum rotates, and the weighted pen
moves back and forth due to the motion of seismic waves. The pen records the
movement on the drum.

MAGNITUDE
The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure of the energy released by the
earthquake.
An earthquake has a single magnitude. The shaking that it causes has many values
that vary from place to place based on distance, type of surface material, and other
factors.
The time, location, and magnitude of an earthquake can be determined from the data
recorded by the seismometer.
Seismometers are instruments that measure the vibrations produced by earthquakes
that travel through the Earth.
INTENSITY
The effect of an earthquake on the Earth's surface is called the intensity.
Whereas the magnitude of an earthquake is one value that describes the size, there
are many intensity values for each earthquake that are distributed across the
geographic area around the earthquake epicenter. The intensity is the measure of
shaking at each location, and this varies from place to place, depending mostly on the
distance from the fault rupture area.
It is measured on various intensity scales, including the Modified Mercalli Intensity
Scale and the PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale.
Mercalli Intensity Scale
The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale is a twelve-point scale that measures the effects
of an earthquake at a particular location. It is based on observations of damage and
shaking intensity, rather than on instrumental measurements.
It was developed in 1931 by the American seismologists Harry Wood and Frank
Neumann.

PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale

The PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale is a ten-point scale developed by the
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to measure the
intensity of earthquakes in the Philippines. It is based on observations of shaking
intensity and damage, and ranges from I (scarcely perceptible) to X (very destructive).
 Earthquake Occurrences

Approximate Yearly Number

Description Magnitude Maximum Intensity Effects of Events
at Epicenter Worldwide

Great >8.0 X to XII Major to total 1

destruction

Major 7.0-7.9 IX to X Great damage 17

Strong 6.0-6.9 VII to VIII Moderate to 134

serious damage

Moderate 5.0-5.9 VI to VII Slight to moderate 1319

damage

Light 4.0-4.9 IV to V Felt by most; slight ~13000

damage

Minor <3.9 III or smaller Felt by some; ~130000

hardly any
damage

Analysis | How earthquakes impact us as a country

Earthquakes can have a devastating impact when they occur and cause significant damage,
as reported by Jazeera (2020). In 2020, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the central Philippines,
causing one death and injuring 43 people. The earthquake, known as the Masbate
Earthquake, struck southeast of Masbate Island in the Bicol region, causing widespread
damage to buildings and roads. As a result, residents were forced to flee their homes. The
earthquake highlight the serious impact even a moderate earthquake can have, causing
physical pain, destroying homes, and causing mental trauma to those affected.
Resources

Wald, Lisa. “The Science of Earthquakes | U.S. Geological Survey.” USGS.gov,

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science-earthquakes.
Accessed 17 October 2023.

“Why Do Earthquakes Happen? | UPSeis | Michigan Tech.” Michigan Technological

University, https://www.mtu.edu/geo/community/seismology/learn/earthquake-
cause/. Accessed 17 October 2023.

What is a seismograph and how does it work? | SAGE. (n.d.).

https://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/epo/life_of_a_seismologist/its_instrumental/
what_is_a_seismograph_and_how_does_it_work

The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale | U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.).

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/modified-mercalli-
intensity-scale

PHIVOLCS. (n.d.). PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS). Philippine

Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/earthquake/earthquake-intensity-
scale