UNDERSTANDING
EARTHQUAKE AND EQ
HAZARD
Network of Earthquake
Monitoring Stations in
the Philippines
➢ 30 unmanned stations:
1 in Ormoc
1 in Maasin
➢ 29 manned stations 1
in Palo
➢ 5 seismo-volcanological
observatories
➢ Metro Manila
micronetwork with 5
telemetered
seismic stations
➢ Temporary
Hinunangan Network 5
stations
Seismic monitoring station in El Nido, Palawan
PHIVOLCS seismologists: earthquake hunters
4,000th quake in 4 days!
PHIVOLCS: Source of earthquake information in the Philippines
➢ Details of earthquake location:
• Origin time, coordinates, depth,
source (tectonic or volcanic),
generator
• Intensities of affected areas
➢ Tsunami bulletins and warnings
➢ Advisory in times of necessary
evacuation
Information transmitted by tri-media (tv,
radio and print)
What have we learned?
➢PHIVOLCS is the agency mandated to
monitor earthquakes in the Philippines
➢A seismically active area may produce
hundreds to thousands of earthquakes in a
brief span of time (hours to several weeks)
Mantle convection is driving the earth’s tectonic plates
The Earth is dynamic: Plate Tectonics
Fault
- form in rocks when the stresses overcome the
internal strength of the rock resulting in a fracture
What have we learned?
➢Earthquakes are natural phenomena
brought about by slow but powerful motions
within the earth
➢The internal motion within the Earth
induces deformation along the fragile
surface of the planet
➢Sudden ground deformation produces
seismic waves or earthquakes
A weak to violent shaking
of the ground produced
by the sudden movement
of rock materials below
the earth’s surface.
1. Tectonic 2. Volcanic
- earthquakes produced by - earthquakes produced by
sudden movement along movement of magma
faults and plate boundaries beneath volcanoes
Seismogram
Distance of point of observation from earthquake source is determined using
the arrival times of different seismic waves, usually P and S waves
FAULT
FOCUS vs. EPICENTER
* +
•at least 20
earthquakes
are recorded
per day
•4–5
earthquakes
are felt per
week
! "#$
%&'()%&&&
Fact:
The Philippine Archipelago
has a complex tectonic
setting with several trenches
and many active faults
!" #
% Intensity perceived &% Magnitude based
strength of an on instrumentally derived
earthquake based on information and
relative effect to people correlates strength with the
and structures; amount of total energy
released at the earthquake’s
generally higher near the
point of origin
epicenter
RICHTER MAGNITUDE SCALE
1 magnitude below 1 are only detectable when an ultra sensitive seismometer is operated
under favorable conditions.
2 M below 3 are "hardly perceptible shocks" and are not felt.
3 M 3 to 4 are "very feeble shocks" and only felt near the epicenter.
4 M 4 to 5 are "feeble shocks" where damages are not usually reported.
5 M 5 to 6 are "earthquakes with moderate strength“; felt over the wide areas; some of
them cause small local damages near the epicenter.
6 M 6 to 7 are "strong earthquakes“; accompanied by local damages near epicenters.
7 M 7 to 8 are the "major earthquakes“; can cause considerable damages near epicenters;
may generate tsunamis.
8 M 8 to 9 are the "great earthquakes" occurring once or twice a year. When in land areas,
damages affect wide areas. When under the sea, considerable tsunamis are produced.
Many aftershocks occur in areas approximately 100 to 1,000 kilometers in diameter.
9 M over 9 have never occurred since the data based on the seismographic observations
became available.
10 Earthquakes with M over 9 have never occurred since the data based on the
seismographic observations became available.
INTENSITY
• Decreases with distance from
source
• can be gauged by
Assumption students!! Very
easy…
INTENSITY VII INTENSITY VIII
INTENSITY IX
INTENSITY VIII
What have we learned?
➢ Magnitude = instruments
➢ Intensity = personal observations
➢ An increase of one unit on the Richter Scale corresponds to
approximately a 30-fold increase in the total energy released.
➢ Large magnitude earthquakes have occurred in the
Philippines in the past
➢ Large magnitude earthquakes are inevitable in the Philippines
because of its geodynamic setting and the presence of faults
➢ YOU and your class may contribute in intensity reporting!
➢ Basic seismology deciphers information about the earth and
its movements using the imprint of the passing of seismic
waves
Basic Terms
➢Seismology - science
➢Seismic - pertaining to
earthquake
➢Seismograph - instrument
➢Seismogram – record of earthquake
➢Aftershock - following the mainshock
➢Foreshock –before a mainshock
Seismic Hazards:
dangers posed by large earthquakes
• Ground Shaking - shake
• Ground Rupture - cut
• Liquefaction - very soft
soil
• Landslides
- slope failure
• Tsunami - waves
intense shaking + weak structure = building damage or collapse
Ex. Hyatt Hotel in Baguio City after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake of July 16,
1990
; 1
Ground rupture with vertical
displacement
Intense shaking + loosely hanged objects =
falling objects
Hazard 2: GROUND RUPTURE
➢fissuring or faulting along the surface
➢The creation of new or the renewal of
movements of old fractures, oftentimes
with the two blocks on both sides
moving in opposite directions
Seismic
Hazards
• Reverse Fault
! " ! ! #$% & '(() * + ,! -
Ground rupture and
fissuring
Taiwan Earthquake, 1999
Faulted outcrop (Brgy. Salog, Leyte)
Legend:
Active Fault: trace certain
Active Fault: trace approximate
Offset stream
Salog Elementary School, Leyte
Hazard 3: Liquefaction
- a process that
transforms the behavior
of a body of sediment
from that of a solid to
that of a liquid
Liquefaction in Hinunangan, Southern Leyte July 19, 2007
Brgy. Badiangon
Photo courtesy of PHIVOLCS
HINUNANGAN JULY 2007 QRT Team
Brgy. Das-ay
Liquefaction:
The ground loses strength and structures built on top
of it may sink and tilt...
Earthquake-induced Landslides
READY MAPPING 2007: Dr. Arturo Daag and Ms. Angela
Montes
Occurrence of a strong earthquake
➢Elevated areas: steeper slopes, more prone
➢Thick soil cover: more loose materials to fall
➢Proximity to fault: stronger shaking in
areas near the earthquake-generating fault
➢Water saturation of materials: wet slopes
easier to landslide
Hazard 4: Landslides and Rockfalls
Hinunangan, Southern Leyte July 19, 2007 11:10 PM
Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake
Intensity VII in
Hinunangan
Landslide
in Brgy.
Biasong
Photo: Punongbayan, BJT
2007
Tension cracks in Brgy. Manalog July 19, 2007
(Intensity VII in Hinunangan)
Ground Failure - Landslide
INTENSE shaking +
➢Slope
➢Vegetation
➢Water content
➢Pre-existing
structures
Secondary Hazard:
Fire
COMMON QUESTIONS:
➢Can earthquakes be predicted?
➢Is there a fault passing through
your school?
➢Where is the Marikina Fault?
➢Is there a risk of tsunami in
MetroManila?
➢Who are at risk?
Is there a possibility of a big earthquake in
MetroManila?
The MetroManila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS)
" , 4" , ,
Model7.2
Model 08 Model 13
7.9
WWVVFF
Inland Fault Subduction
Almost VIII, VIII at West of
IX alongside Metropolitan
Marikina Mania, VII at
River and other area
Manila Bay
Will not Maximum 4m
occur average 2m
alongside
Manila Bay
PEIS Intensity VIII – Very Destructive
➢ People are panicky and find it difficult to stand even outdoors
➢ Many well-built buildings are considerably damaged
➢ Concrete dikes and foundations of bridges destroyed by
ground settling
➢ Railway tracks may be broken; tombstones may be displaced,
twisted or overturned
➢ Utility posts, towers and monuments may tilt or topple
➢ Water and sewer pipes may be bent, twisted or broken
➢ Sinking or titling of structures due to liquefaction
➢ Landslides and rockfalls; Boulders thrown out near epicenter
➢ Fissures or rupture observed
➢ Water splashes over dikes or or riverbanks
August 2, 1968 (Ms 7.3); Casiguran
Fault-East Luzon Trench region
The Ruby Tower in Binondo,
Manila, a large six-storey
building containing 38
commercial units in its first
two floors and 76 residential
units in its upper four floors;
Most of the building collapsed
except for a part of the
northern end of its first and
second floors.
268 persons died and 260 were
injured.
ESTIMATED IMPACTS OF WORST CASE SCENARIO EARTHQUAKE
(Magnitude=7.2 West Valley Fault)
Four out of ten buildings and houses will be damaged
Public Purpose Buildings: Heavily Damaged 8 - 10 %
Schools 1412, Hospitals 177, Fire
Fighting 124, Police 43, MMDCC
Organizations and 17 LGU City Partly Damaged 20 – 25 %
and Municipal Halls 53
Residential buildings heavily damaged 13%
or collapsed 170,00
moderately 0
25.6% or
damaged 350,000
Human Loss dead 34,000,
With population of 9,932,560 90% from pressure of
collapsed building
injured 120,000
PHIVOLCS has the knowledge, it is our
mission to prepare the public.
Some of our information and
earthquake campaigns:
➢Nationwide lectures and seminars
Earthquake drills
➢Tsunami warning systems
➢Tsunami warning signage
➢Tsunami drills
,
< =
