EARTHQUAKES

AND
FAULTS
 EARTHQUAKES AND FAULTS
 SEISMOLOGY is the study of
earthquakes and seismic waves that move
through and around the earth.

 A SEISMOLOGIST is a scientist who studies

earthquakes and seismic waves. 

 SEISMIC WAVES are the waves of energy

caused by the sudden breaking of rock
within the earth or an explosion.
 EARTHQUAKES AND FAULTS

 EARTHQUAKES occur when rocks

along a fault suddenly moves.

 A FAULT is a break on the Earth’s

crust along which significant
movement has taken place.
 HOW DO FAULTS PRODUCE QUAKES?

Energy from inside the Earth

exert a force on the rocks along
faults. But the rocks do not move
right away because of friction. The
roughness of the rocks keeps them
from slipping past each other. But
when the limit is reached, the rocks
suddenly slip—earthquake!
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAULTS
Earth scientists use the angle of the fault with respect to the
surface (known as the dip) and the direction of slip along the
fault to classify faults. 

Faults which move along the direction of the dip plane

are DIP-SLIP FAULTS and described as either NORMAL or
REVERSE (thrust), depending on their motion. 

Faults which move horizontally are known as STRIKE-SLIP

FAULTS and are classified as either RIGHT-LATERAL
or LEFT-LATERAL.

Faults which show both dip-slip and strike-slip motion are

known as OBLIQUE-SLIP FAULTS.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAULTS
Faults may be vertical, horizontal, or inclined at any angle. 

When rocks slip past each other in faulting, the upper or

overlying block along the fault plane is called the HANGING
WALL or headwall; the block below is called the FOOTWALL.

3 BASIC TYPES OF FAULTS

1. Dip-slip faults - are inclined fractures where the blocks have
mostly shifted vertically. 
2. Strike-slip faults - are faults in which rock strata are displaced
mainly in a horizontal direction, parallel to the line of the fault.
3. Oblique-slip faults - Faults which show both dip-slip and
strike-slip motion
A. DIP-SLIP FAULT
1. NORMAL DIP-SLIP FAULTS - Produced by
vertical compression as the Earth’s crust lengthens.
The hanging wall slides down relative to the
footwall. 
A. DIP-SLIP FAULT
2. REVERSE DIP-SLIP FAULTS - Result from
horizontal compressional forces caused by a
shortening, or contraction, of the Earth’s crust. The
hanging wall moves up and over the footwall.
A. DIP-SLIP FAULT

Caused by Caused by
TENSION COMPRESSION
FORCE FORCE
B. STRIKE-SLIP FAULT
1. LEFT-LATERAL STRIKE-SLIP FAULTS - Is one
on which the displacement of the far block is to the
left when viewed from either side. It is sometimes
called SINISTRAL Strike-slip fault.
B. STRIKE-SLIP FAULT
2. RIGHT-LATERAL STRIKE-SLIP FAULTS - Is one
on which the displacement of the far block is to the
right when viewed from either side. It is sometimes
called DEXTRAL Strike-slip fault.
C. OBLIQUE-SLIP FAULT
Oblique faults are faults on which two directions of
displacement occur. It is a combination of dip-slip motion and
strike-slip motion. Therefore, there is a space between the faces
of the fault. And one side is higher, vertically, than the other.
 Now that you have learned
what a fault looks like, the
different types of faults, and
how an earthquake is produced,
do you know where does the
earthquake begin?
FOCUS AND EPICENTER
 PARTS OF AN EARTHQUAKE
1. FOCUS – The place where the
earthquake starts
2. EPICENTER – The spot on the
surface of the earth that is directly above
the focus
3. FAULT PLANE – The flat surface
between the two pieces of rocks
4. FAULT LINE – The trace of the fault
 HOW STRONG IS THE EARTHQUAKE
Scientists use two different ways of describing how
powerful an earthquake is:

1. INTENSITY OF AN EARTHQUAKE
 The intensity is a number describing the severity
of an earthquake in terms of its effects on the
earth's surface and on humans and their
structures. 
2. MAGNITUDE OF AN EARTHQUAKE
 Magnitude is a measure of the amount of energy
released during an earthquake. It may be
expressed using several magnitude scales.
INTENSITY AND MAGNITUDE SCALE

Magnitude scales use Hindu-Arabic numerals while

intensity scales use Roman numerals.
 HOW STRONG IS THE EARTHQUAKE

INTENSITY:
The severity of earthquake shaking is assessed
using a descriptive scale – the Modified
Mercalli Intensity Scale.

MAGNITUDE: 
Earthquake size is a quantitative measure of
the size of the earthquake at its source. The
Richter Magnitude Scale measures the
amount of seismic energy released by
an earthquake.
PHIVOLCS EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY SCALE
PHIVOLCS EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY SCALE
PHIVOLCS EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY SCALE
PHIVOLCS EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY SCALE
PHIVOLCS EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY SCALE
EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE SCALE
DO YOU LIVE NEAR AN ACTIVE FAULT?

ACTIVE FAULTS – are those that

have moved and caused earthquakes in
the past and are expected to do so
again the future.
DO YOU LIVE NEAR AN ACTIVE FAULT?
 WHAT TO DO 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.
 WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE EARTHQUAKE?
 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.
 Participate in regular earthquake
drills.
 WHAT TO DO DURING THE EARTHQUAKE?

 Stay calm. 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.
 WHAT TO DO DURING THE EARTHQUAKE?
 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.
 WHAT TO DO 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.
 TSUNAMIS AND EARTHQUAKES
Faults are found on land as well as the
bottom of the sea. When an underwater
fault suddenly moves, a TSUNAMI may
be formed. But not all movements
generate tsunamis. If the fault moves
sideways, the water may not be
disturbed. The movement has to be in
vertical sense, a sudden upward or
downward motion.
 TSUNAMIS AND EARTHQUAKES
A tsunami is a series of large
waves generated by an abrupt movement
on the ocean floor that can result from an
earthquake, an underwater landslide, a
volcanic eruption or - very rarely - a
large meteorite strike. However, powerful
undersea earthquakes are responsible for
most tsunamis.
 TSUNAMIS AND EARTHQUAKES
 Unlike a wave that is formed by the wind, a
tsunami is so much more powerful. Wind
waves are just sea-surface waves. In
comparison, a tsunami involves the whole
depth of the sea, from the seafloor to the
surface.
 Far from the shore, a tsunami is low, maybe
just a meter high. But it travels at the speed
of a jet plane. When the tsunami reaches
the shore, it slows down but it grows in
height.
 TSUNAMIS AND EARTHQUAKES
 A tsunami is very destructive because the
force of the whole ocean is behind it. This
is the reason why whole towns and cities
are totally devastated after a tsunami attack.
 So, how are earthquakes related to
tsunamis? When a fault suddenly moves on
land, you get an earthquake. But if a fault
suddenly moves in or near a body of water,
you may get a tsunami in addition to the
earthquake.
 TSUNAMIS AND EARTHQUAKES

 Thus, when you are near the sea and

you feel a strong earthquake, treat
that as a warning signal. Run to the
highest place you can find, or if you
have a vehicle, evacuate inland.
 WHAT’S INSIDE THE EARTH?

We often think of earthquakes

as something harmful and the
reason is obvious. But can
you cite some advantages of
earthquakes?
 WHAT’S INSIDE THE EARTH?
Earthquakes help scientists figure out
what is inside the Earth. How? As you
know by now, when a fault suddenly
moves, an earthquake is generated. The
shaking starts from the focus and
spreads out. As seismic waves travel
through the body of the Earth, they
behave in different ways, depending on
what they encounter along way.
 WHAT’S INSIDE THE EARTH?
 As seismic waves travel deeper into the crust,
they speed up. That means that at depth the
rocks are denser. In the upper part of the
mantle, the waves slow down. That means the
rocks there are partially molten.
 As the waves reach the core, one kind of
seismic wave (s-waves) disappears. That
means that the outer core is liquid. At certain
depths, the waves are reflected and refracted
(bent). That means the Earth must be layered.
 WHAT’S INSIDE THE EARTH?
Thus, earthquake waves give us a
picture of the Earth’s interior, the
way an “ultrasound” provides an
image of a baby inside the womb.
This is why scientists know a bit
about the interior of our home
planet, even if no one has gone deep
into the Earth yet.