EARTHQUAKE AND FAULTS

Continental crust: makes up most of the Earth's landmasses and is about 25 to 70 km thick.
Oceanic crust makes: up most of the ocean floor and is about 7 to 10 km thick.
Layers of the Earth
Crust: The solid rock layer that makes up the outermost shell of Earth.
Mantle: It is the thickest of all layers, beneath the crust, made of dense rocks
Outer Core: It is composed of iron and nickel resulting in a very thick liquid that flows
chaotically.
Inner core: It is the densest layer, composed of solid iron with some amount of nickel
FAULT:
-Fault is a fracture or break in Earth’s crust where earthquakes are most likely to occur
repeatedly.
-It forms when the rocks of the crust are COMPRESSED or STRETCHED by plate movement.
-Fault zones are breaks spread over a wide area where they are weak
-Faults are formed when rocks continuously moving and changing shape under stress, causing it
to twist or tear apart.
-These are fractures in rocks along which movement has occurred.
-Some force is at work pushing and pulling on the crust causing changes on the surface and
often beneath the surface
-The force applied to rocks is called STRESS.
Types of stress:
-Tensional
-Compressional
-shear
Tensional stress
-Rocks are stretched away from each other

Compressional stress
Rocks are pushed towards each other

Shear stress
Rocks are pushed towards each other but not in the same axis
Footwall
-The block below the fault
Hanging wall
-The block of rock above the fault
TYPES OF FAULT
-normal fault
-reverse fault
-thrust fault
-active fault
-inactive fault
Normal fault
-The hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall due to tension
-It is formed when rocks are stretched

Reverse fault
-The hanging wall moves up relative to the footwall due to compression

Thrust fault
-The hanging wall moves to slide over the footwall due to compression

Strike-slip fault
-It slips in the direction of the strike.
-The movement is always horizontal
-Right lateral Strike-slip fault
-Left lateral Strike-slip fault
Oblique Strike-slip fault
-When shearing and compression are combine, faults move along both the dip and strike
direction
Active fault
-These are known to have recently generated earthquakes within the last 10,000 years which
may still continue to generate earthquakes
Inactive fault
-Do not show signs of ever having generated an earthquakes in the last 10,00 years but may
possible still generate an earthquake in the future
PHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology)
-government agency is responsible for showing the faults and trenches in the Philippines
Faults and Anatomy of the Earthquake
What are the major types of faults in the Philippines?
-Philippine Fault Zone
-Valley Fault System
-Lubang Fault
-Central Mindoro Fault
Philippine Fault Zone
-It is the most extensive fault system in the country and cuts through the entire Philippine
archipelago
-Faults have branches that traverse through Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
-It moves an average in left-lateral strike slip type
Valley Fault System
-Consists of two Northern-trending right lateral strike slip faults that begins in Angat dam
continue through parts of Metro Manila
Lubang Fault
-It is found offshore between Batangas and Mindoro Island
-Left lateral strike-slip fault
Central Mindoro Fault
-It is marked by a break in slope between the mountains of western Mindoro and the flatlands
of eastern Mindoro
-right lateral strike-slip fault
Earthquake:
-It is the shaking and trembling of Earth that results from the sudden movement of part of
Earth’s crust
What is the cause of earthquake? Slipping along a fault in Earth’s crust
Faulting
-As define, fault is a break in Earth’s crust
-What happens when there is faulting?
-During faulting, SEISMIC ENERGY is released as the rocks break and move
-The rocks continue to move this way until the energy is used up
Tsunami
-Earthquakes that occur on the ocean floor causing a giant ocean waves
-Travels at speeds of 700-800 km/hr, approaching the coast as high as 10-20 meters
Why it is disastrous? Causes tidal waves and flooding
How can an earthquake be located?
-Focus or hypocenter
-Fault scarp
-Epicenter
Focus or hypocenter
-It is the point in the rock’s zone of weakness where breaking of rocks first starts and seismic
energy is released.
-It is located within the fault plane which is the breaking surface underground
Fault scarp
-When fault plane is exposed above the ground
-It is usually the best sign that there is fault in the area.
Epicenter
-It is the point on Earth’s surface directly above the focus
-Earthquake waves reach the epicenter first
--This is where the most violent shaking of the ground occurs
-The epicenter must be located first to plot the earthquake locations
earthquake waves
-These are waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within Earth or an explosion.
-They are the energy that travels through Earth and is recorded by seismograph
-The shockwaves of energy radiates and releases from the FOCUS of an earthquake
-They shake the Earth and temporarily turn soft deposits, such as clay, into jelly (liquefaction).
SEISMIC WAVES:
-It is distinguished by the number of propagation of seismic waves including:
Speed where the waves travel
Direction
Location
What are the three main types of seismic waves?
-Primary waves or P waves
-Secondary waves or S waves
-Surface waves:
Rayleigh waves
Love waves

Primary waves or P waves

-It is the fastest of seismic waves and consequently the first to be recorded
-These are compressional waves, (longitudinal wave) where particle motion is PARALLEL to the
direction of wave propagation
-It can move through solid and liquid layers of the Earth’s interior.

Secondary waves or S waves

-It is slower than the P wave
-These are SHEAR WAVES OR SHAKING WAVES which are
transverse waves, where particle motion is PERPENDICULAR to
the direction of wave propagation
-It can only move through solid layers and not in fluids

Surface waves or L waves

-It is the slowest among the given waves
-It is the interaction of P and S waves
-It travels from the focus directly upward to the epicenter

Rayleigh waves
-These are surface waves that move along Earth's surface the way waves travel in
the ocean.
-Just as the surface of water rises and falls with each wave, Earth's surface moves
up and down with each surface wave that passes

Love waves
-These are faster type of surface waves that produce horizontal motion, resulting
in the side-to-side movement of the ground.
-L waves or surface waves can cause MOST OF THE DAMAGE during earthquake
because they bend and twist Earth’s surface

 Earthquake Magnitude and Intensity

What devices are used In terms of measuring the strength of an earthquake?
-Seismograph
-Seismogram
-Richter Scale
-PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
Seismograph
-It is an instrument that detects and measures waves
Types:
-Horizontal seismograph
-Vertical seismograph
What are the features of a horizontal seismograph?
-It consists of a pendulum which is a mass suspended to a wire, attached to a frame supported
by a base
-A pen attached to the base of the mass which records any movement on a sheet of paper
wound around the drum
What are the features of a vertical seismograph?
-It consists of a mass suspended to a spring, attached to a frame supported by a base on the
ground
-A mass has a pen attached to it so it can make marks around the rotating drum in vertical
motion.
Seismogram
-It is the seismograph’s record
-It is used to locate the distance of an earthquake’s epicenter
What are the features of a seismogram?
-In terms of recording, the higher amplitude, the wavy lines (wiggly lines) on the seismogram
recorded on the paper, the stronger the earthquake is
Intensity
-Intensity tells how much a certain area was shaken when the earthquake reached that area.
-Intensity is determined from effects on people, human structures, and the natural
environment
Magnitude
-Magnitude measures the total amount of energy released by an earthquake at the focus.
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
-It uses 10 levels to rate the strength of an earthquake based on its effects on people,
structures and objects
Richter Magnitude Scale
-It measures how much energy an earthquake releases by assigning the earthquake a number
from 1 to 10.
-The more energy an earthquake releases, the stronger the earthquake is
EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDESS
AT HOME BEFORE
-Store drinking water. Store dried and canned foods
-Prepare an earthquake emergency kit with non-perishable food, bottled water, flashlight, first aid
materials, blankets, spare glasses and other essential items and store it where it will be easily accessible
in case of earthquake.
-Everyone should know to turn off the electricity and water supply
-Anchor furniture down to the floor
-Conduct an earthquake drill

INDOORS DURING EARTHQUAKE

-Immediately seek a safe location such as beneath a table or desk or along an interior wall away from
windows or hazardous objects
-Cover the back of your head and your eyes to minimize injury from flying debris
-Beware of any falling objects or electrical wires
-If cooking, turn off heating elements immediately

OUTDOORS DURING EARTHQUAKE

-Stay in open areas away from buildings, powerlines, trees and other potential hazards
-If driving, stop quickly but safely and stay in the vehicle. Do not stop near powerlines, bridges,
overpasses or other potential dangerous locations
-Stay calm and brace yourself to keep your balance, sitting if possible

AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE
-Don’t use the elevator, enter damaged buildings
-Be prepare for aftershocks, which may be strong than the initial jolt
-Check for injuries and tend to them immediately. Summon emergency assistance if necessary.
-Check for structural damage, but do not enter a building that shows damage or has visible cracks in the
walls or foundation
-Be cautious in opening cabinets, cupboards and closet in case items may be poised to fall
-Keep phone lines clear for emergency use
-Be patient. It may take hours or days to restore all services depending on the severity of the quake