Disaster Risk Reduction and
LESSON: DISASTERS PROFESSOR: RONAN S. BAUTISTA (SIR BASTI)
QUESTIONS: TOPIC: EARTHQUAKES
GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS
- Large-scale, complex natural events that happen on
land. (University of Washington, 2017.)
- The potential dangers posed by a geological event on
human lives and the environment qualify the geological
event as a hazard.
EARTHQUAKES
- is a sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by
the movement of the Earth's crust. This movement occurs
when stress accumulated along geological faults or
plate boundaries is suddenly released, resulting in the
propagation of seismic waves through the Earth.
Earthquakes can vary in magnitude and intensity,
leading to a range of effects such as ground shaking,
ground rupture, landslides, tsunamis, and structural
damage to buildings and infrastructure.
WHY DO EARTHQUAKES OCCUR DURING VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS?
MAGMA MOVEMENT?
- When magma rises towards the Earth's surface, it pushes
and squeezes against the surrounding rock. This
movement generates pressure within the Earth's crust.
FRACTURING
- As the pressure from the rising magma increases, it can
cause the surrounding rock to crack and fracture. These
fractures result in the release of stored energy in the form
of seismic waves, which we feel as earthquakes.
ERUPTION
- In some cases, the pressure from the rising magma builds
up to the point where it causes a volcanic eruption. The
release of this pressure can also trigger earthquakes,
both before and during the eruption.
- TENSIONAL STRESS occurs when the Earth's crust is being
pulled apart. This type of stress can contribute to the
formation of rift zones and divergent plate boundaries
where magma can rise to the surface, leading to
volcanic activity.
- COMPRESSIONAL STRESS occurs when tectonic plates
collide, causing the crust to be pushed together. This
can result in the subduction of one plate beneath
another, leading to the formation of volcanic arcs and
chains, volcanoes for short.
- SHEAR STRESS occurs when tectonic plates slide past
each other horizontally. This type of stress can create
transform plate boundaries, where volcanic activity may
occur due to the movement of magma along fault lines.
EPICENTER
- This is on the Earth's surface, right above where the
earthquake starts underground. It is the point where
seismic waves radiate outward after being generated
by the movement along a fault or plate boundary
beneath the surface. The epicenter is commonly used to
locate and describe the location of an earthquake on
maps.
FOCUS
- This is where the earthquake starts, beneath the Earth's
surface depths near the surface to deeper depths within
the Earth's crust or upper mantle. It is the point where the
fault rupture or sudden movement occurs, releasing
energy in the form of seismic waves. The focus can be at
varying depths below the Earth's surface, ranging from
shallow.
TECTONIC VS VOLCANIC
TECTONIC EARTHQUAKES
- These happen when Earth's tectonic plates move and
grind against each other. It's like when you rub your
hands together, but on a much larger scale. The
pressure builds up until it's released suddenly, causing
the ground to shake.
VOLCANIC EARTHQUAKES
- These occur because of the movement of magma
beneath the Earth's surface. As magma moves and
shifts, it can crack rocks and create earthquakes. These
earthquakes often happen near volcanoes and are
linked to volcanic activity.
EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS
- GROUND SHAKING
o is the primary hazard of an earthquake and
occurs when the ground vibrates due to the
seismic waves generated by the quake. It can
cause buildings and infrastructure to sway or
collapse, leading to injuries and loss of life.
- GROUND RUPTURE
o the ground can split or rupture along fault lines.
This can result in visible cracks or displacement of
the Earth's surface, damaging roads, buildings,
and utilities like water and gas lines.
- LIQUEFACTION
o happens when saturated soil temporarily loses its
strength and behaves like a liquid during shaking.
It occurs in areas with loose, water-saturated soil,
and can cause buildings and other structures to
sink or tilt. This phenomenon can also lead to
landslides and the collapse of infrastructure built
on affected soil.
- GROUND SUBSIDENCE
o Ground subsidence refers to the sinking or settling
of the Earth's surface. It can occur due to various
factors, including the compaction of soil layers,
the withdrawal of groundwater, or the collapse of
underground cavities. During an earthquake,
ground shaking can exacerbate subsidence,
causing buildings and infrastructure to sink or tilt
unevenly. This can lead to structural damage and
pose safety risks for affected areas
MAGNITUDE
- measures the size of an earthquake, like how big it is
overall, using a number scale. It tells us about the energy
released at the earthquake's source.
INTENSITY
- measures how strong the shaking is at a specific
location, like how much it's felt or how much damage it
causes. It depends on factors like distance from the
epicenter and local geological conditions.
SUMMARY:
Geological hazards encompass large-scale natural events on land, posing risks to both
human lives and the environment. Earthquakes result from the sudden release of stress
along geological faults or plate boundaries, causing violent ground shaking, ruptures,
landslides, tsunamis, and structural damage. During volcanic eruptions, magma
movement generates pressure, leading to fracturing and seismic activity. Different types
of stress on the Earth's crust, such as tensional, compressional, and shear stress,
contribute to earthquake occurrence. The epicenter is the surface point directly above
the earthquake's origin, while the focus is where the earthquake initiates below the
surface. Tectonic earthquakes stem from plate movements, while volcanic earthquakes
are linked to magma shifts beneath the surface. Earthquake hazards include ground
shaking, rupture, liquefaction, and ground subsidence. Magnitude quantifies an
earthquake's size, while intensity measures the strength of shaking at a specific location.
