Epicenter and Focus,

Intensity and Magnitude,

Seismic Waves
WEEK 3
▶July16, 1990
▶Magnitude: 7.8
▶Epicenter: Nueva Ecija
Strongest Earthquake:
▶May 22, 1960
▶Valdivia, Chile
▶Magnitude: 9.5
Fault
Break in the earth’s crust along which
significant movement has taken
place
Earthquake
▶The vibration of earth due
to rapid release of energy
Fault Plane
▶Flatsurface where the focus is
▶Part where the fault slips;fault
movement happens
Focus
▶Starting point of
earthquake
▶Place where the
first break
happens or fault
starts to slip
Epicenter
▶Surface of the
earth directly
above the focus
Fault line
▶Trace of the fault
 PHIVOLCS
Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and
Seismology
Seismograph
-device used to
measure and record
earthquakes
Magnitude
▶Measure of energy released in an
earthquake
▶Greater magnitude means
stronger earthquake
▶Expressed in Hindu-Arabic
numerals
2 - weak earthquake; only instruments
are sensitive to “feel” them
4 - strong enough to be felt by most
people
6 - c an lead to lot of damage in highly
populated area
7 - can cause severe damage
9 - powerful earthquake; can destroy
whole communities
Intensity
▶Determined by observing
the effects on people,
structures and surroundings
▶Expressed in roman
numerals
Richter vs. Mercalli
Richter Scale
▶magnitude
▶provides an estimate of energy in an
earthquake
Mercalli Scale (Modified Mercalli Scale)
▶Intensity
▶subjective evaluation based on
observations by people
Active fault
that has moved in the
Fault
past and is expected to
move again
 Determined through historical
records and observing the
surroundings
Before the Earthquake
 Prepare homes or schoolrooms by strapping heavy furniture to
the walls.
 Check the stability of hanging objects.
 Breakable items, harmful chemicals and flammable materials
should be stored properly.
 Know exit routes.
 Know where fire extinguishers and first aid kits are located.
 Prepare an emergency supply kit that includes water, canned
food, can opener, clothing, blanket, battery-operated radio,
flashlight, and extra batteries.
 Partic ipate in regular earthquake drills.
During the Earthquake
 Stay c alm.
 If you are at home or inside a building, stay there.
 Duck under a sturdy desk or table and hold on to it.
 Stay away from glass windows, cabinets, and heavy objects.
 Beware of falling objects.
 If you are outside, move to an open area.
 Stay away from trees, powerlines, and concrete structures.
 Move away from steep slopes which could be affected by
landslides.
 If you are near the shore, move quickly to higher grounds.
Tsunamis may follow.
After the Earthquake
 Do not use elevators or enter damaged buildings.
 Check yourself and others for injuries.
 Check for spills of chemical, toxic, and flammable
materials.
 If you
need to evacuate, leave a message and bring
your emergency kit.
 Listen to the radio for updates.
Tsunami
Wave produced when a
sudden push from
underwater fault o c curs
from Japanese word which
means “harbor wave”
▶Seismic waves are the waves
of energy caused by the
sudden breaking of rock within
the earth or an explosion
Types of Seismic Waves
▶Body Waves
▶Primary or
p-wave
▶Secondary or s-wave
▶Surface Waves
▶Love wave
▶Rayleigh wave
Body waves
▶Travelling through
interior of the earth
▶Primary wave
 fastest kind of seismic wave
 can move through solid rock and
fluids, like water or the liquid
layers of the earth.
▶Secondary Wave
 slowerthan P wave
 can only move through solid rock
 TheS-wave shadow zone
occurs because S-waves
cannot travel through the
liquid outer core.
 P-waves do travel through
the core, but because the
waves that enter the core are
refracted, there are also
P-wave shadow zones.
 Not only do the shadow zones tell us that the outer core is liquid, the
size of the shadow zones allows us to calculate the size of the core,
and the location of the core-mantle boundary.
Surface Waves
▶Travels only through crust

LOVE WAVES
- the fastest surface wave
- moves the ground from side-to-side
RAYLEIGH WAVES
- it moves the ground up and down,
and side-to-side
- most of the shaking felt from an
earthquake is due to the Rayleigh
wave