College of Engineering – Civil Engineering Department CETE 543 – Earthquake Engineering

EARTHQUAKE
 Earthquake is manifested as ground shaking caused by sudden release of energy in the Earth’s
crust. This energy originates from different sources, such as dislocations of the crust, volcanic
eruptions or even by man-made explosions or the collapse of underground cavities, such as
mines or karsts.
 Plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanoes are closely related. In fact, because of the behavior
of earthquakes and volcanoes the core of the theory of plate tectonics has been proved. Earthquakes
and volcanoes also allow geoscientists to indirectly study the interior of the earth.
 Different types of earthquake exist: fault rupture-induced, volcanic, mining-induced and large
reservoir-induced.

EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKE

 Ground shaking - is the most familiar effect of earthquakes. It is a result of the passage of seismic
waves through the ground, and ranges from quite gentle in small earthquakes to incredibly violent
in large earthquakes.
 Ground Rupture - is another important effect of earthquakes which occurs when the earthquake
movement along a fault actually breaks the Earth's surface.

Source: BeyondCebu.com

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College of Engineering – Civil Engineering Department CETE 543 – Earthquake Engineering

 Landslides - is the movement of rock, earth, or debris down a sloped section of land. It can be
caused by earthquakes both by direct rupture and by sustained shaking of unstable slopes.

Source: AP via INQUIRER NEWS

 Tsunamis - are a grave hazard to many parts of the world, particularly around the Pacific Ocean
basin. Tsunamis are a series of water waves caused when the seafloor moves vertically in an
earthquake and which can travel vast distances in a short period of time.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com

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College of Engineering – Civil Engineering Department CETE 543 – Earthquake Engineering

 Liquefaction - Liquefaction is when sediment grains are literally made to float in groundwater,
which causes the soil to lose all its solidity.

 Fires – fires can also be a major source of damage after earthquakes. These fires can be started by
broken gas lines and power lines, or tipped over wood or coal stoves. They can be a serious
problem, especially if the water lines that feed the fire hydrants are broken, too.

EARTHQUAKES AND URBANIZATION

 The minimum standards set in the building codes can minimize the damage cause by earthquake,
specially to those cities which lie on the west valley fault. Although, some major buildings require
their engineers to design for higher performance standard.
 Over the past 10 years, base-isolation technologies for low-rise buildings in which this writer
became involved in the seismic design have been introduced in the country.
 Dampers or damping devices against vibrations have also been introduced in a few very tall
buildings.

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College of Engineering – Civil Engineering Department CETE 543 – Earthquake Engineering

HISTORY OF MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EARTHQUAKE

TOP 5 IN TERMS OF MAGNITUDE

1. The Great Chilean Earthquake - Chile

 9.5 magnitude
 May 22, 1960
 No. of Deaths: 5700
 Injured: Almost 2 million
 Like the other earthquakes, it was followed by tsunami that makes it more devastating.

2. Prince William Sound - Alaska

 9.2 magnitude
 March 28, 1964
 No. of Deaths: 128
 Cost: About $311 Million
 The shake lasted for about 3 minutes. The tsunami reaches a height of 67 meters.

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3. Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra

 9.1 magnitude
 December 26, 2004
 No. of Deaths: 227,898
 Injured: Almost 1.7 million
 This was triggered by a megathrust as the Indian tectonic plate was forced beneath the Burmese
plate.

4. Near the East Coast of Honshu - Japan

 9.0 magnitude
 March 11, 2011
 No. of Deaths: 290,000
 This is also the largest recorded earthquake on Japan. Aftershocks continue to rock the island of
Honshu. The aftershocks include more than 50 of magnitude 6.0 or greater, and three above
magnitude 7.0.

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5. Kamchatka Peninsula - Russia

 9.0 magnitude
 November 4, 1952
 No. of Deaths: None
 Damages up to $1 million.

TOP 4 IN TERMS OF DEATHS

1. Shensi – China

 8.0 magnitude
 January 23, 1556
 No. of Deaths: 830,000
 The experts think that caused these fatalities are because the people in China at that time lives in a
soft, fragile and erosion prone soil. After this earthquake, the people in China adopted and learned
to used earthquake resistant materials like wood and bamboo.

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2. Tangshan – China

 7.8 magnitude
 July 27, 1976
 No. of Deaths: 240,000

3. Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra

 9.1 magnitude
 December 26, 2004
 No. of Deaths: 227,898
 Injured: Almost 1.7 million
 This was triggered by a megathrust as the Indian tectonic plate was forced beneath the Burmese
plate.

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College of Engineering – Civil Engineering Department CETE 543 – Earthquake Engineering

4. Haiti Earthquake

 7.0 magnitude
 January 12, 2010
 No. of Deaths: 222,570
 Injured: Almost 1.3 million
 At the time of the quake, 70 percent of the population lived below the poverty line. Nearly 4,000
schools were damaged or destroyed.

HISTORY OF MAJOR PHILIPPINE EARTHQUAKES

Top 5 Deadliest Earthquakes in the Philippines

1. Moro Gulf - Mindanao

 8.0 magnitude
 August 17, 1976, 12:11 am
 No. of Deaths: 8000
 Injured: 10000
 It was followed by 4 to 5 meters high tsunami covering 700 km of coastline bordering the island.
Because it was dark, the people were caught by the raging water. With 90,000 more, homeless.

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2. Luzon - Nueva Ecija

 7.8 magnitude
 July 16, 1990, 4:26 pm
 No. of Deaths: 2412
 Injured: More than 3000
 One of the strongest earthquakes to ever struck the country occured in several areas of Central
Luzon and Cordillera region.
 Hyatt Terraces Plaza, Nevada Hotel, Baguio Hilltop Hotel, Baguio Park Hotel, and FRB Hotel, all
in Baguio collapsed trapping and burying people alive.
 The quake lasted for about a minute damaging mostly the city of Pines
 Baguio, sitting on at least seven fault lines, is now listed as one of the most risk-prone cities in Asia

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3. Nueva Ecija

 7.5 magnitude
 November 30, 1645, 8:00 pm
 No. of Deaths: 600
 Injured: 3000
 Referred to as the "most terrible earthquake" in Philippine history, caused by the San Manuel and
Gabaldon Faults. Manila Cathedral was known to be damaged.

(Photo Not Available)

4. Casiguran, Aurora

 7.3 magnitude
 August 2, 1968, 4:19 am
 No. of Deaths: 270
 Injured: 261
 268 of 270 and 260 of 261 were occupants of the Ruby Tower in Binondo. It is a large six-storey
building containing 38 commercial units in its first two floors and 76 residential units in its upper
four floors.

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5. Carmen, Bohol

 7.2 magnitude
 October 15, 2013, 8:12 am
 No. of Deaths: 222
 Injured: 976
 An estimated 73,000 strucutres were damaged wherein more than 14,500 of which were destroyed
totally

EARTHQUAKE PRONE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD

1. Japan
 Japan tops the list of the earthquake prone areas. The country has a long history of witnessing
disastrous earthquakes since it is situated on the Pacific “Ring of fire”. Due to the subduction of
the Philippine Sea plate beneath the Okinawa plate and Amurian plate, Japan has observed a series
of several high-intensity earthquakes. On March 11, 2011, a deadly earthquake had shaken the
entire country. It was also the costliest natural calamity for Japan. The Fukushima nuclear accident
during the earthquake had attracted worldwide concerns.
2. Nepal
 If estimates are to be believed, a citizen in Nepal is more likely to be killed by an earthquake as
compared to any civilian in the world. An earthquake of 8.4 magnitude had hit the country in the
year 1934. Another recent earthquake of 7.9 magnitude that hit the country on April 25, caused
immense damage to life and property. The iconic Dharahara tower was also destroyed due to the
quake.
3. India
 India has also experienced a series of some deadly earthquakes due to the movement of the Indian
tectonic plate at the rate of 47 mm every year. Due to the movement of tectonic plates, India is
prone to Earthquakes. India has been divided into five zones on the basis of peak ground
accelerations. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake followed by a tsunami had killed around
15,000 Indians. Also, on January 26, 2001, an Earthquake in Gujarat had also killed thousands.
4. Ecuador
 Ecuador has several active volcanoes making the country an extremely dangerous for high-
magnitude quakes and tremors. The country lies within the seismic zone between the South
American plate and the Nazca plate. On August 12, 2014, an Earthquake of 5.1 magnitude on the
Richter scale had rattled Quito, which was followed by an aftershock of 4.3 magnitude. 2 people
were reported dead and 8 were injured.

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5. Philippines
 Philippines lies on the edge of the Pacific plate, which is traditionally a seismic hot zone that
encircles the state. In Philippines, earthquakes with high magnitude have led to deadly volcanic
eruptions in the past. On October 15, 2013, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 Richter scale had struck
central Philippines leading to more than 100 deaths.

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