4.

EARTHQUAKE-INDUCED GROUND
SUBSIDENCE AND LATERAL SPREADING
Subsidence or lowering of the ground
surface, often occurs during earthquakes. This
may be due to downward vertical displacement
on one side of a fault, and can sometimes
affect a huge area of land. Coastal areas can
become permanently flooded as a result.
Subsidence can also occur as ground shaking
causes loose sediments to “settle” and to lose
bearing strength or to slump down sloping
ground.
Lateral spreading occurs where sloping
ground starts to move downhill, causing cracks
to open up, that are often seen along hill crests
and river banks.
 5. TSUNAMI
A tsunami, also known as a seismic
wave, is a series of waves in a water body
caused by the displacement of a large volume
of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other
underwater explosions (including detonations of
underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier
cavings, meteorite impacts and other
disturbances above or below water all have the
potential to generate a tsunami. Unlike normal
ocean waves which are generated by wind or
tides which are generated by the gravitational
pull of the Moon and Sun, a tsunami is
generated by the displacement of water.
 6. EARTHQUAKE-INDUCED LANDSLIDES

Landslides are frequently triggered by

strong ground motions. They are important
secondary earthquake hazard. The term
landslide includes a wide range of ground
movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of
slopes, and shallow debris flows. However,
gravity acting on a steep slope is the primary
reason for all landslides. Strong earthquake-
induced ground shaking greatly increases the
likelihood of landslides where landscape is
susceptible to these types of ground failure. If
the ground is saturated with water, particularly
following heavy rainfall, the shaking will result in
more landslides than normal.
 NATURAL SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING TSUNAMI

1. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
Some zoologists hypothesize that some animal
species like elephants have the ability to sense
subsonic Rayleigh waves from an earthquake
or a tsunami. If correct and substantiated with
more evidence, monitoring their behavior could
provide advance warning of earthquakes and
tsunamis. It is possible that
certain animals like the elephants may hear the
ssounds of a tsunami as it approaches the
coast. As observed in Sri Lanka during the
Indian ocean Tsunami, the elephants’ reaction
was to move away from the approaching noise.
By contrast, some humans went to the shore to
investigate and many drowned as a result.

2. DRAWBACK
This is an observable natural sign of an
impending tsunami that is noteworthy. In fact,
drawback can serve as a brief warning. There
are already proofs that people who observed
drawback survived when they immediately run
for high ground or climbed to upper floors of
nearby buildings. In 2004, ten-year-old Tilly
Smith of Surrey, England, and her family
survived when a tsunami struck Maikhao
beach in Phuket, Thailand. Having learned
recently their school about drawback as natural
sign of impending tsunamis, she told her family
that a tsunami might be imminent. Her parents
also warned others minutes before the wave
arrive, and this simple action saved dozens of
lives.
 HOW DRAWBACKS ARE FORMED

All waves have a positive and negative

peak, i.e. a ridge and a trough. In the case of
propagating wave like a tsunami, either may be
the first to arrive. If the first part to arrive at
shore is the ridge, a massive breaking wave or
sudden flooding will be the first effect noticed
on land. However, if the first part to arrive is a
trough, a drawback will occur as the shoreline
recedes dramatically, exposing normally
submerged areas. Drawback can exceed
hundreds of meters, and people unaware of the
danger sometimes remain near the shore to
satisfy their curiosity or to collect fish from the
exposed seabed.
A typical wave period for a damaging
tsunami is about 12 minutes. This means that
if the drawback phase is the first part of the
wave to arrive, the sea will recede, with areas
below sea level exposed after 3 minutes.
during the next 6 minutes the tsunami wave
trough builds into a ridge, and during this time
the sea is filled in and destruction occurs on
land. During the next 6 minutes , the tsunami
wave changes from a ridge to a trough,
causing flood waters to drain and drawback to
occur again. This ay sweep victims and debris
some distance from land. The process repeats
as the next wave arrives.
The Seismometer – the main tool in
detecting and monitoring an earthquake.
 EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS

Read the article on the 1990 Baguio City

Earthquake and give reactions afterward.
Based on the article you read about the
Baguio Killer Quake, list down the different
earthquake hazards you had identified, and
provide your analysis of the different effects of
these hazards.
 ACTIVITY

HAZARD MAPS
 WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING AND
AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE
BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE
1)Engage yourself in training activities that
promote a safety and disaster preparedness.
2)Participate in government-initiated
earthquake drills and evacuation drills.
3)Some private companies provide training on
emergency response skills. Participate.
4) Share your acquired knowledge and skills to
your family and friends.

DURING AN EARTHQUAKE
1)Stay indoors if you are within a structurally
sound building or home.
2)If you feel the building were not safe, quickly
open the door for exit.
3)If your caught inside a room or building, duck
under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it,
or protect your head with your hands or arms.
4) Stay away from glass windows, shelves,
cabinets, and other heavy objects.
5) Beware of falling objects. Be alert and keep
your eyes open.
6) Meanwhile, those who are outside should
move to an open area, and follow three safety
measures (PHIVOLCS):
Stay away from trees, power lines, posts, and
concrete structures.
Move away from steep slopes which may be
affected by landslides.
If near the shore and feeling n earthquake,
especially a strong one, quickly move to higher
grounds in anticipation of possible tsunamis.
7) Those whoa are in a moving vehicle should
stop and get out. Do not attempt to cross
bridges, overpasses, or flyovers which may
have been damaged.

AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE
Immediately after an earthquake:
1)Take the fastest and safest way out of the
building
2)Do not use elevators
3)Do not enter damaged buildings
4)Do not use telephones unless necessary
5) Most of all, do not panic.
 OUTPUT / PROJECT

1. Collect pictures of actual earthquake

hazards that occurred in the Philippines.
2. Prepare your own Family Emergency Plan
as part of your preparation for the “The Big
One”. Outline the safety measures before,
during and after an earthquake.