EARTHQUAKE:

FOCUS, INTENSITY, MAGNITUDE

AND ACTIVE AND INACTIVE FAULTS

Lesson Objectives:
Students should be able to
differentiate:
1. epicenter of an earthquake
from its focus;
2. intensity of an earthquake
from its magnitude; and
3. active and inactive faults.
 What makes
inside the Earth
Fault is? makes the ground
move?

Why there is no
A process that describes
movement right away
the movement of the
even if there is an
round after an
occurrence of motion
earthquake
inside the occurs?
Earth?

Fault is? a break in the

Earth’s crust, in

which along the

break, significant

movement has

taken place.
 What makes
inside the Earth
makes the ground
move?

Energy from inside

the earth makes

the ground move.

 FRICTION
Why there is no

movement right away

even if there is an

occurrence of motion

inside the
Earth?
Stick and slip A process that describes
the movement of the
ground after an
earthquake
occurs?
Earthquakes
vibrations or tremors
produced within the earth’s
outer layer or crust.
Earthquakes
vibrations or tremors
produced within the earth’s
outer layer or crust.
can either be tectonic or
volcanic
Tectonic Earthquake
occurs when parts of the
earth’s crust break and also
the rocks together with a
fault slide near each other or
far away from each other. often called

as faulting.
Volcanic Earthquake
Tremors are often
produced to signal an
upcoming discharge of the
volcano within the region.
The point

within the

Earth where

the faulting

begins, is

called the

focus or

hypocenter.
The earth’s

surface

directly above

the focus is

called the

epicenter of

an

earthquake
Focus
Epicenter

Focus
Epicenter

Focus
Epicenter

Focus
An earthquake may be described in

two ways: intensity and magnitude.

Magnitude
It is calculated

proportional to the

from earthquakes

energy released by

recorded by an

an earthquake at

instrument called

the focus.
seismograph.
An earthquake may be described in

two ways: intensity and magnitude.

Magnitude The magnitude of

the entire energy

a particular

released by an
earthquake is also

earthquake at its
one number that

focus. does not vary

from place to

position.
 The

seismograph is
an instrument

that measures

earthquake

magnitude.
An earthquake may be described in

two ways: intensity and magnitude.

Magnitude is represented by
Arabic Numbers (e.g. 4.8, 9.0)

Earthquakes of giant magnitude

are stronger and typically more
destructive than those of small
magnitude.
An earthquake may be described in

two ways: intensity and magnitude.

Intensity
measures an

earthquake in

terms of its
The scale measures

geological effects
the intensity of

and so the general

shaking.
damage it brings.
An earthquake may be described in

two ways: intensity and magnitude.

Intensity
measures an

earthquake in

terms of its

geological effects

and so the general

damage it brings.
An earthquake may be described in

two ways: intensity and magnitude.

Away from the epicenter, the

intensity of an earthquake becomes

weaker.

The intensity of an earthquake gives

us an idea of how strong or weak the

shaking is.
An earthquake may be described in

two ways:
It is intensity
a numerical and
rating magnitude.
based on the

relative effects to people, objects,

environment, and structures in the

surrounding.

The intensity is generally higher

near the epicenter. It is

represented by Roman Numerals

(e.g. II, IV, IX).

PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
Active fault
is one that has moved in
the past and is
suspected to move
again. Set differently,
an active fault has
produced earthquakes
already and is able of
producing further in
the eventuality.

Distribution of

Active Faults in

Region X
 Do You Live Near an

Active Fault?

Using the “Distribution of

Active Faults and

Trenches in Region X,

enumerate at
least 5 Active Fault and 5

Inactive Fault surrounding

Misamis Oriental.