Earthquakes

and Faults
WEEK 1
MELCs
• Using models or illustrations,
explain how movements along
faults generate
earthquakes
 2 types of EARTH LAYERS:

1. COMPOSITIONAL 2.MECHANICAL
LAYERS: LAYERS
1. LITHOSPHE
1. CRUST RE
2. MANTLE 2. ASTHENOS
PHERE
3. CORE 3. MESOSPHE
RE
4. OUTER
CORE
5. INNER
 LITHOSPHERE
CONSISTS OF

PLATES
INTERACT ALONG THEIR

VOLCANIC BOUNDARIES MOUNTAI

ACTIVITY N
OCCURS MAINLY ALONG OCCURS MAINLY ALONG
BUILDING
EARTHQUAKES

GENERATES

FAULTIN FOLDING
G
 PLATE TECTONIC THEORY

● The Earth’s outer mechanical layer the

lithosphere, is divided into large
continent-sized plates that are
constantly moving.
● 1-2 inches/year
● Alfred Wegener - Continental drift
theory ; Pangaea
 The 1990 Luzon Earthquake

• Facts: 29 years ago ; Northern and Central Luzon

• Magnitude 7.8; 2,412 deaths
• Liquefaction in Tarlac, Pangasinan and La Union
Ring of Fire
Region around the pacific
ocean commonly hit by
earthquakes and
volcanic eruption
S T R E S S IN THE EARTH’S CRUST

An earthquake is the
shaking and tremors
resulting from the
movement of rocks beneath
Earth’s surface.
S T R E S S IN THE EARTH’S CRUST

The movement of Earth’s

plates creates powerful forces
that squeeze or pull the rock
in the crust. These forces are
examples of stress.
S T R E S S IN THE EARTH’S CRUST

Stress is a force that acts on rock

to change its shape or volume.
Because stress is a force, it adds
energy to the rock. The energy
stores in the rocks until the rock
either breaks or changes shape.
 TYPES OF STRESS
-stress that pushes a mass of
rock in two opposite directions;
1. can cause rock to break and
SHEARING slip apart
-stress force that pulls on the crust,
2. stretching rock so that it becomes
thinner in the middle; two plates are
TENSION moving apart

-stress force that squeezes

rock until it folds or
3. breaks; one plate pushing
COMPRESSION against another
When e n o u g h s t r es s
b u i l d s u p in r o c k ,
t h  rock brea k s ,
c r e a t i n g a FAULT.
 FAUL
T
is a br ak
in t h 
E a r t h ’s
crust, a l o n  which
si nificant
mov m nt has
t a k n p l a c  that
wh n a f a u l t
s u d d nly m o v s , a n
arthquak occurs.
 Philippine
Fault Zone
(PFZ)

East/
West
Valley
Fault
Break – crack in the ground
Crust – outermost layer of the
earth
Significant movement – rocks
have been displaced or shifted
considerably
Faults usually occur alon
p l a t b o u n d a r i s , wh r th
forc s o f p l a t motion
c o m p r s s , p u l l o r s h a r th
crust so much that t h 
c r u s t br aks.
 Different types of
Fault

I. Strike-Slip Fault
• a fault in which rock strata
are displaced mainly
in a horizontal direction,
(Horizontal offset)
 TYPES OF
FAULTS
SHEARING creates strike-
slip fault; the rocks on
either
of the fault
side slip past each SAN ANDREAS
other sideways with little FAULT LINE
up or down motion.

A strike -slip fault that

forms the boundary 1. S TRIKE-
between two plates is
S L IP
called TRANSFORM
BOUNDARY. FAULT
EX. SAN ANDREAS FAULT
IN CALIFORNIA
The main sense of slip across a strike-slip fault
is horizontal. But the movement can be right
lateral (ground on opposite side of fault is
moving right with respect to the other block) or
left lateral (ground opposite moves left).
 Different types of
Fault

II. Dip-slip fault

A. Normal Fault
• Results from tension
• Hanging wall
moves downward
 2.
NORMAL
FAULT

TENSION FORCES
c a u s  normal
f a u l t s wh r p l a t s
DI ERGE o r p u l l
a p a r t . EX. RIO
GRANDE RIFT
A EY IN NEW
MEXICO
Hanging wall
- Rock above the fault
- Less than 90° at the top

Foot wall
- Rock below the fault
- Greater than 90° at the top
 Different types of
Fault

B. Reverse Fault
• Also called Thrust fault
• Results from
compression
• Hanging wall moves
upward
 3. REVERSE FAULT

3. COMPRESSION f o r c e s p r o d u c e
re verse f a u l t s . Th rock f o r m i n g
t h e h a n g i n g wall o f a r e v e r s e f a u l t
s l i d e s u p a n d o v e r t h e f o o t wall.
EX. APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS IN THE
EASTERN UNITED STATES.
 Different types of
Fault

III. Oblique Fault

• A fault which has a
component of dip-slip and a
component of strike-slip
Earthquake
 Thevibration of earth due
to rapid release of
energy
• 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!
Experiment: A Sticky Setup

Objectives:
 Using models or illustrations, explain
how movements along faults generate
earthquakes
Experiment: A Sticky Setup

Objectives:
 Using models or illustrations, explain
how movements along faults generate
earthquakes
Experiment: A Sticky Setup

Objectives:
 Using models or illustrations, explain
how movements along faults generate
earthquakes
Experiment: A Sticky Setup
MATERIALS:
 Two identical small boxes (like zest-o box )
 Masking tape
 Rubber band
 Paper clip
 Toy house
PROCEDURE:
1. Attach a rubber
band to the paper
clip.
2. Attach the paper
clip with rubber to
one of the boxes
PROCEDURE:

3.Put the boxes side by

side then tape lightly
together at the top.
NOTE: Do not stick the
tape on the boxes too
much because this is
meant to be removed.

4.Put a toy house on the

box with a rubber band.
PROCEDURE:
5. Hold the box without a rubber band in place
using your left hand. With the other hand, pull the
rubber band
QUESTIONS:
1.What happens to the rubber band?
Answer: The rubber band stretches
2.What happens to the box attached
to the rubber band?
Answer: The box moves forward
3.What happens to the house?
Answer: The house falls over
4. Which is the fault in this
setup?
Answer: The fault id the boundary
between two boxes
Rubber band = Energy
Tape = Friction
 Energy from inside the earth’s surface
exert force on rocks
The rocks don’t move right away
because of friction
 The roughness of rocks keeps them
from slipping
 Once friction is overcome/the limit is
reached, the rocks suddenly slip/the
ground moves
Q3. What happens to the rubber
band?
Q4. Keep on pulling on the rubber
band. What happens to the box
attached to the rubber band? Note:
The tape is supposed to come off, so
stick it on very lightly.
Q5. What happens to the “house”?
Q6. Which is the “fault” in this setup?
Experiment: Stick and Shake

Objectives:
 Using models or illustrations, explain
how movements along faults generate
earthquakes
Experiment: Stick and Shake
MATERIALS:
 two plastic rulers (plastic
transparent) or any flexible
materials alike
 modeling clay or any binder
that easily loose up
Experiment: Stick and Shake
MATERIALS:
 two plastic rulers (plastic transparent) or any
flexible materials alike
 modeling clay or any binder that easily
loose up
Experiment: Stick and Shake
MATERIALS:
 two plastic rulers (plastic transparent) or any
flexible materials alike
 modeling clay or any binder that easily
loose up
Experiment: Stick and Shake
MATERIALS:
 two plastic rulers (plastic transparent) or any
flexible materials alike
 modeling clay or any binder that easily
loose up
Experiment: Stick and Shake
MATERIALS:
 two plastic rulers (plastic transparent) or any
flexible materials alike
 modeling clay or any binder that easily
loose up
Experiment: Stick and Shake
Q8. What happens when bending
becomes too much? Note: If nothing
happens, separate the rulers and re-attach
them only slightly.
 PHIVOLCS
Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and
Seismology
Volcanology – science that deals
with volcanic phenomenon

Seismology – science that deals

with study of earthquakes