TOPIC: Various Potential Earthquake Hazards ( Identify various potential earthquake hazards.
YOUR TARGET: Identify the various potential earthquake hazards.
An EARTHQUAKE is a natural phenomenon
wherein the surface of the Earth moves or
vibrates due to a sudden release of energy
that is caused by the movements of the
plates. Earthquakes are usually formed along
faults, which are fractures on the Earth’s
crust. The spot where an earthquake began is
termed as the focus. From the focus, the
energy created moves outward in all
directions in a form of seismic waves. The
epicenter of an earthquake is the point on the
Earth’s surface located directly above the
focus.
EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS
Earthquake hazards include any physical phenomenon associated with an earthquake that may affect human activities.
There are several hazards that could happen during or after an earthquake. These hazards are generally classified into two;
the primary hazards and secondary hazards. Primary hazards are those that have a direct result during an earthquake, these
are:
1. Ground shaking
2. Ground or surface rupture
3. Liquefaction
4. Earthquake-induced landslides
GROUND SHAKING
This describes the vibration of the ground where an
earthquake occurs which is usually recorded in terms
of intensity. Ground shaking can be a hazard or a
trigger for other hazards such as landslides or
tsunamis. There are several factors that can affect the
intensity of ground shaking during an earthquake,
such as, 1.) magnitude of the earthquake; 2.) distance
from the epicenter; and 3.) local geological
conditions. Most damages during an earthquake are
result of the ground shaking which passes beneath
the roads, buildings and other infrastructure.
GROUND OR SURFACE RUPTURE
Ground rupture happens on areas where the fault zone moves. Structures built adjacent to the fault will survive but those
built across these zones will collapse. Any structures built across the fault is at risk of being torn apart as the two sides of
the fault slip past each other. Surface rupture is not a single line with a fixed width but a zone with variable width where
fractures have developed which are called as deformation zones.
To avoid risks that can be caused by surface rupture, we should avoid
building structures above or near the fault lines. PHIVOLCS recommends a
five meter buffer zone from the edge of the deformation zone for building
structures.
One of the best examples of surface rupture happened during the 1999 Chi-
Chi Earthquake in Taiwan under the Bei-Fung Bridge. The rupture lifted the
upper stream to a height of about 5 to 6 meters which results to a new
waterfall.
The 2013 Bohol Earthquake also lifted a mass of land about two
kilometers long and two meters high. Geologists from PHIVOLCS
found a surface rupture which is part of the reverse fault called
the North Bohol Fault about 6 km long.
EARTHQUAKE-INDUCED LANDSLIDES
Landslides refer to a wide range ground movement such as rock fall and debris flow. Strong earthquake and ground shaking
greatly increase the possibility of landslides in areas susceptible to ground failure. If the ground is saturated with water, the
shaking will result to more landslides. Typically, a magnitude-4.0 earthquake is strong enough to trigger rock fall. Although,
gravity acting on a steep slope is the primary reason for all landslides, there contributing factors: are other
• Over steepened slopes created by erosion in rivers, glaciers or ocean waves
• Rock and soil slopes weakened through saturations by heavy rains
• Excess weight from accumulation of rain and snow
• Weak slopes due to the stockpiling of rock or ore from waste piles or from humanmade structures.
LIQUEFACTION
This occurs when sand or soil and groundwater mixed during an
earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 and higher which makes the
ground very soft and exhibits properties similar to that of a
quicksand. When liquefaction occurs under a building, the
building may start to lean, tip over or sink for several meters. The
ground will eventually be settled again after the shaking stopped
and the water has gone back into the ground. Areas that have
groundwater close to the surface and have soil which is sandy is
more prone to liquefaction.
Liquefaction has been identified as responsible for tremendous
amounts of damages in historical earthquakes around the world.
Areas such as floodplains, sand bars, coastal areas, swamps,
marshes, river deltas and reclaimed areas are highly susceptible
to liquefaction. A perfect example of liquefaction is during the
1990 Luzon Earthquake in Dagupan City.
Secondary earthquake hazards are results of the primary hazards, which are to be more disastrous. Secondary hazards
include the following:
1. Tsunami
2. Seiche
3. Flooding
4. Fire
TSUNAMIS
Tsunamis are huge waves caused by an earthquake that
originate beneath the ocean and can cause great destruction
when it reaches the land. Tsunamis are also usually referred to
as tidal wave, but it has little or nothing to do with tides on the
ocean. The height of tsunamis can be tens of feet high when
they hit the shore and can do massive damages in the
coastline.
There are two types of tsunamis; a.) locally-generated
tsunamis, which are caused by earthquakes from nearby
trenches and b.) far-field tsunamis, which are generated by
earthquakes from sources that are located farther from the
area of impact. 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake and the 1994 Mindoro Earthquake are some of the recorded locally-generated
tsunamis. The danger of the locally-generated tsunamis are the lesser amount of time before the waves arrive, usually 10
minutes after the huge shaking. Far-field tsunamis on the other hand usually takes hours before the waves arrive,
depending on how the source was.
SEICHE (‘sāsh, ‘sēch)
Seiche is standing waves that are created in a closed or partially-closed body of water such as lakes, reservoir, swimming
pools and bays due to strong wind or earthquake. Seiche has also a to-and-fro motion that is produced by a forcing motion
on an enclosed body of water. The standing wave is a superposition of waves that travels the whole length of the water and
then reflected back to the opposite position.
FLOODING
When tsunami hits the land, the water that remains can flood the coastal areas. When an earthquake breaks a dam, the
water that flows out can cause severe flooding on low-lying areas.
FIRE
After an earthquake, there is a possibility that a fire will break out. Fires can be a result of a candle or lantern that are tipped
off during the earthquake or can also be because of gas lines that leaked and sparks from broken electric and utility wires.
To worsen the scenario, earthquake can also block the water source or block the way of the firefighting equipment and
vehicles.
