Our planet was born billions of years ago, and natural disasters have always been a part of its

journey before we existed. These calamities helped Earth to achieve its present state, indeed, but
geological disasters are far more dangerous than helpful. Catastrophes such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, and landslides will be my subjects in this essay. Luckily, we discussed these in the past
lessons, so I will only include a brief recap. An earthquake is the unexpected, rapid shaking of the earth,
caused by the breaking and compressing of plates. Mild ruptures can switch to much stronger shaking in
just a few seconds. Ruptures last for a few seconds, but its damage cannot be underestimated. Every
earthquake is capable of destroying structures, roads, plants, and the rest of our environment.
Earthquakes can also be triggered by a volcanic eruption, wherein magma, gas, and ash escape. A
volcano is a vent in the Earth’s surface, and when the right conditions are met, an eruption will occur. In
most cases, after a volcano spews lava, an earthquake would usually take place. This phenomenon
results in danger to all organisms, man and animal, and forests. Earthquakes can move many structures
that may fall onto the people or animals. When there are earthquakes, the seafloor also moves,
therefore inflicting a massive wave that meets the land surface. This particular disaster is known as a
tsunami.

Going back to the volcanic eruption, this geological hazard has always been the fear of everyone. When
a volcano erupts and spits lava, it flows down and may reach residential areas and kill many people. This
pyroclastic flow is extremely fast and can burn human skin with its high temperature, exceeding a
boiling water’s temperature. Some lava particles also go up, almost evaporating like a gas, but in this
situation, it becomes ash. Ashfall is the deposit that comes from the eruption then falling down like rain.
An ashfall can inflict health problems to people or animals that will inhale it. When ash gets inside our
body through our nose, it will get into the lungs and may develop chronic diseases and allergies.

Aside from ruptures, tsunamis, ashfalls, and pyroclastic flow, earthquakes could also trigger landslides.
A landslide is rocks, soil, or other materials moving down a slope. This disaster often happens during
typhoons and strong rainfalls, in which the water soaks an elevated surface of soil or rocks, then
softening it that causes a fast flow of the materials. The main hazard in a landslide is a mudflow.
Mudflow is a landslide that is combined with up to 60 percent water, concluding that the soil contains a
liquid-like consistency. The dangers in a mudflow occurs when objects stand in the flow’s path, where it
can be destroyed.

Heading on to the next part of my essay, I will discuss the measures we can implement to cope with the
geological hazards I’ve mentioned. As a student, my opinion will involve the ways I can do to help during
the times of disaster, regardless of my age. The first on my list is preparedness, because being ready is
the best cure to any catastrophe. Earthquakes, eruptions, and landslides are unexpected, and can’t be
predicted by any means, but if we know how to handle the actual situation, our chances of survival will
increase. We should always prepare things that will save us during the state of calamity, for example
food, water, and emergency kits. Fortunately, our government did a good job implementing earthquake
drills, wherein all students and employees will be demonstrated an earthquake simulation. During these
drills, everyone is expected to stay calm and avoid panic to maintain proper order. Sometimes, first-aid
treatments are also taught, in order to inform people how to handle situations without the
professionals. When an earthquake occurs, we should go under tables or any hard surface that can
protect our body from falling objects.
After an earthquake, most of us are finally relieved that the rupture is done, but most earthquakes
actually have stronger aftershocks than the first shake. Remember to keep an eye on our surroundings
during this time, because we can put our lives at risk if we don't watch out enough. Look out for bad
wirings, broken walls, ceilings, that may fall on us. For sure we wouldn’t like our bodies to be smashed
by hard objects, would we? The summary of this tip is to always stay out of possible danger, so be
careful.

The last thing I will recommend everyone to apply is to help others. At times of disasters, we are left
with no choice but to wait for help, so the best way to fasten up recovery is to help others in need too.

The third section of my essay tackles the anthropogenic factors that trigger a landslide. As we know,
earthquakes and volcano eruptions are geological hazards that happen unexpectedly and are caused by
forensic reasons, so I will only include the landslide. Humans also contribute to the occurrence of
landslides, unintentionally. Mining is a process wherein worker dig in caves and mines in search of rare
minerals, which is usually gold and silver. Continuous mining and excavation can lead to disintegration of
rocks, therefore resulting to a landslide. Meanwhile, mudflows can be caused by wrong water drainage
location. For example, when a typhoon takes place, the water is too much for the drains that the water
can be mislead to sloppy ground, causing a landslide again.

For the last part, I will cite a way to minimize the chances of landslides in our community, in hope to
help everyone who reads this essay. The best measure to prevent a landslide, even in sloppy areas, is to
vegetate the space. According to researches, roots of any plant or tree holds soil together, making it too
compact to disintegrate with mild force. With this practice, I guarantee less incidents of mudflows and
landslides.