EARTHQUAKE

Earthquake is the shaking of the ground brought by the sudden rock movements below the earth’s
surface. As the Earth’s crust move away or pushed towards each other it causes nearby plates to
move too. The plates are slowly moving, when Earth’s crust bends (folding) from a flat surface it
forms mountains and hills. Faulting happens when Earth’s crust cracks or breaks energy waves are
released causing an earthquake. Earthquake has two types these are tectonic and volcanic.
Types of Earthquakes
Tectonic Earthquake - earthquakes produced by sudden movement along faults and plate
boundaries
Volcanic Earthquake - earthquake produced by movement of magma beneath volcanoes
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The earth’s layer where the earthquake began is called the focus or also called the hypocenter. The
point on the surface or the ground above the focus is called the epicenter. Earthquakes’ impact to the
Earth is measured in terms of magnitude and intensity. Magnitude is the quantity of released energy
from the focus. For this purpose, a seismograph is used. It is an instrument that is used to measure
magnitude. It is represented by Arabic Numbers (e.g. 4.8, 9.0). Intensity measures the strength of
shaking produced by the earthquake at a certain location. Intensity is determine from effect to
people, objects, environment and structures in the area. It is represented by Roman Numerals (e.g.
II, IV, IX). In the Philippines, the intensity of an earthquake is determined using the PHIVOLCS
Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS). The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
(PHIVOLCS) is a government agency that monitors, predicts, and determines areas that are prone to
earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and other related hazards. Damaged infrastructure,
tsunami, landslide, and liquefaction are just few effects of earthquake to the environment.
Liquefaction is a phenomenon after a strong earthquake. This happens when loosely packed, wet
sediments at or near the ground surface lose their strength in response to strong ground shaking.
tsunami liquefaction
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damaged infrastructures (Source: clipart-library) VOLCANIC ERUPTION A volcano is an opening in the
Earth’s crust. This opening is called crater. Inside a volcano is a magma chamber that is composed of
molten rocks, ashes and gaseous materials called magma. Magma is an extremely hot, liquid and
semi-liquid rock below the surface of the Earth. These materials are forcefully driven out by intense
heat and pressure that will result to a volcanic eruption. The magma that reaches the Earth’s surface
is now called lava. Volcanoes has a variety of sizes and shapes. Some volcanoes have low elevations
while others, such as Mt. Mayon, are high. Their shapes maybe cone like or dome like. Volcanoes can
be explosive or non-explosive. When there is an unlimited build-up of pressure in the magma
chamber, more pyroclastic
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unEARTHing TIME Pacific ring of fire refers to a place where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes
occur. It is situated in the Pacific Ocean where the Philippines is included. This is the reason why the
country is mostly visited by typhoon, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Approximately, there are
about 300 volcanoes in the Philippines. Twenty-four (24) of which are identified as active according to
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). Some of the active volcanoes are Mt.
Mayon, Mt. Hibok-Hibok, Mt. Pinatubo, Mt. Tall, Mt. Kanlaon and Mt. Bulusan. The rest are
categorized as inactive or dormant.
materials are expelled by a volcano into the atmosphere during eruption. It results in a loud explosion
that could last into quite a few hours or even days. Suspended volcanic dust in the atmosphere
causes the so-called “haze-effect”. Haze is harmful to the respiratory system of both human and
animals. It is non-explosive when lava comes out from a volcano calmly, it does not explode. It
causes less damage to the environment. There are many cited negative effectives caused by a
volcanic eruption however, the following are some positive effects that benefited mankind such as: •
Some materials expelled by a volcano like pyroclastic materials can make the soil rich. This is very
evident in the places near one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, Mt. Mayon in Albay. It
is where the locals used to cultivate the land and produce healthy crops. • Heat from a volcano
comes out in holes or fumaroles. The steam that comes out from the volcano is used to generate
electricity.
• Pumice and sulfur are just two of the manufacturing materials found around a volcano. Pumice is
used in polishing stones and gardening while sulfur is one of the components in making matches and
firecrackers.