Senior High School

Disaster Readiness and

Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 - Module 6
Earthquake Hazards and Risk Reduction
Methods

1.
 Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 - Module 6
Earthquake Hazards and Risk Reduction Methods

Lesson
Earthquake Hazards and Risk Reduction Methods
1

ACTIVITY 1: Can you label the picture below? Inside the boxes at the right, write the correct label.
(FAULT, EPICENTER, FOCUS & FAULT LINE SUBSTRATE)

1.
Let us refresh
the following
2. earthquake
concepts:

3. • An
earthquake
is the
4. vibration of
Earth
produced by the rapid release of energy within the lithosphere.
• Earthquakes are caused by slippage along a break in the lithosphere, called a fault.
• The energy released by an earthquake travel in all directions
from the focus in the form of seismic waves.
• The movement that occurs along faults during earthquakes is a
major factor in changing Earth’s surface.
• Forces inside Earth slowly deform the rock that makes up
Earth’s crust, causing rock to bend.
• Elastic rebound is the tendency for the deformed rock along a
fault to spring back after an earthquake.
• An aftershock is an earthquake that occurs sometime soon
after a major earthquake.
• A seismograph is a device used to record the motion of the
ground during an earthquake.

What’s New

ACTIVITY 2: Analyze which earthquake-related hazard cause the following effects shown on the pictures
below.

1.__________________________________ 2._________________________________

https://bit.ly/3hyB1QJ https://bit.ly/2CFYwbt
3.__________________________________ 4._________________________________

https://bit.ly/2D3zov5 https://bit.ly/2WPdsLl

https://bit.ly/2CvhxO4

5.__________________________________

What Is It
Earthquake - a feeble shaking to violent trembling of the ground produced by the sudden displacement of
rocks or rock materials below the earth’s surface.

Types of earthquakes:
a) tectonic earthquakes - generated by the sudden displacement along faults in the solid and rigid
layer of the earth.
b) volcanic earthquakes - induced by rising lava or magma beneath active volcanoes

Most common earthquake-related hazards:

• Ground shaking- disruptive up-down and sideways movement or motion experienced during an
earthquake; shaking at different degrees depends on magnitude of earthquake, distance of one’s location from
the fault that moved, local below surface conditions, etc)
• Ground rupture- displacement on the ground due to movement of fault, experienced by areas where
fault passes through
• Tsunami- sea waves resulting from the disturbance of ocean floor by an earthquake: a series of giant
sea waves commonly generated by under-the-sea earthquakes and whose heights could be greater than 5
meters.
• Liquefaction- is a process that transforms the behavior of a body of sediments from that of a solid to
that of a liquid when subjected to extremely intense shaking, as a result, any heavy load on top of the sediment
body will either sink or tilt as the sediment could no longer hold the load.
• Earthquake-induced landslide- failures in steep or hilly slopes triggered by an earthquake; loose
thin soil covering on the slopes of steep mountains are prone to mass movement, especially when shaken
during an earthquake.
• Fires - Earthquakes cause fires. Even moderate ground shaking can break gas and electrical lines,
sever fuel lines, and overturn stoves. To further complicate things, water pipes rupture, so it would be
impossible to extinguish the fire.
• Tsunami vs Storm surge. A tsunami is a Japanese word meaning “harborwaves”. A tsunami is
commonly generated by disturbances associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor. It
occurs when the earthquake is shallow-seated and strong enough to displace parts of the seabed and disturb
the mass of water over it. In addition, underwater volcanic eruptions and landslides can also generate a
tsunami.
• Tsunamis have nothing to do with high tide and low tide which is caused by the gravitational pull
between the earth and moon. The increase in wave heights associated or during typhoons (when there are
strong winds) or tropical cyclones are called “storm surges”.
Two kinds of Tsunami:
a) Local tsunamis are confined to coasts within a hundred kilometers of the source usually earthquakes
and a landslide or a pyroclastic flow. It can reach the shoreline within 2 to 5 minutes.
b) Far field or distant tsunamis can travel from 1 to 24 hours before reaching the coast of the nearby
countries. These tsunamis mainly coming from the countries bordering Pacific Ocean like Chile

Natural signs of an impending tsunami:

a) Feel an earthquake. If the ground shakes under your feet in a coastal region, a tsunami may have
been caused by a strong undersea earthquake. However, you may not feel an earthquake if the event is far
away.
b) See ocean water disappear from the beach, bay or river. Before a tsunami arrives, water may recede
from the shoreline before returning as a fastmoving wall of water. If you notice the water is disappearing, tell
your family and friends and prepare to move inland or to higher ground.
c) Hear an unusual roaring sound. If you hear a loud roar approaching (a bit like a passenger jet or a
train), tell your family and friends. It could be a tsunami approaching.
Effects of earthquake-related hazards:
 Ground shaking
Due to ground shaking, infrastructures such as buildings, roads, and bridges can be destroyed; it has
multiple consequences including injuries and loss of lives due to collapsed infrastructures, landslides, and
avalanche.
 Ground rupture
Any structure built across is at risk of being taken apart because the two sides of the fault slip past each
other. If a structure (a building, road, etc.) is built across a fault, the ground rupture/displacement during an
earthquake could seriously damage or rip apart that structure.
 Tsunami
Can cause severe damage to coastline communities, loss of lives due to drowning, collapse buildings,
impact of various kinds of debris, radiation leaks from the meltdown of fuel rods in nuclear power plants, and
sometimes by electrocution.
 Liquefaction
Liquified soil opens ground cracks to escape to the surface, the ejected material leads to flooding and may
leave cavities in soil, leaving large areas covered with deep later of mud. Because of this phenomena,
buildings and structures can sink or tilt over, while underground pipes and tanks that may rise to surfaces.
Liquefaction is a hazard in areas that have groundwater near the surface and sandy soil.
 Earthquake-induced landslide
Fractured rocks when disturbed by large earthquakes can damage and block major roads.
Other effects:
 Sinkholes
Causes the collapse of the ground, which vary in size.

What’s More

ACTIVITY 3: Hurdling Language Barriers to Understand Science

Learning the Skill: Defining terms using context clues. Give the meaning of the underlined words by examining
how it is used in the sentence. Look for context clues.

1. When the soil is water-saturated, it tends to behave like a liquid. Such behavior leads to secondary
earthquake effect which is called liquefaction.
2. During earthquakes, LPG tanks and stoves may overturn, and electrical lines may sever, and
consequently may lead to fire.
3. Seismic activities must be monitored because earthquakes originate below the earth’s crust.
4. Ground subsidence happens because of the soft and liquid-like behavior of some soil.
5. A tsunami is caused by earthquake in oceanic floors. This leads to huge flooding in communities near
the seashore.

What I Have Learned

ACTIVITY 4.A: Answer the following questions briefly.

1. What is tsunami? Describe its two types.

2. How does tsunami differs from storm surge? Is it correct to say that tsunami is the same with tidal
 waves? Why?
3. What are the signs of an impending tsunami?

ACTIVITY 4.B: Identify which of the following sentences describes the nature of tsunami and what to
do when you feel/see the signs of an impending tsunami by writing TRUE or FALSE.

1. You should go to the shore to watch a tsunami.

2. All undersea earthquakes cause tsunami.
3. If you feel a strong earthquake while near the coast, you should wait to hear the rumbling
sound before moving to high ground.
4. If a small tsunami is coming, you should get out of the water and wait until you hear it is safe to return.
5. If a big tsunami is coming, you should move as far inland as you can or to higher ground.
6. If you are swimming when a small tsunami comes, you could get dragged out to sea by the strong
rips and currents.
7. A tsunami is most often caused by undersea earthquakes.
8. While swimming and you see the exposed seabed, coral flats and fishes, you don’t have to worry
because it just due to the gravitational pull of the earth and the moon.