Claret College of Isabela
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION
P.O. Box 8692 Roxas Avenue, Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 Philippines
Name: ________________________________________________Date: _________________
Grade Level: Grade 12 Output No.: 4
Earthquake Hazards
(LESSON/OUTPUT TITLE)
Duration: (1 day)
Lesson Objectives:
The learners:
a. Identify various potential earthquake hazards
b. Interpret the effects of different earthquake hazards
c. Apply precautionary and safety measures, before, during and after an earthquake
Values Integration:
a. Stewardship
Content:
One of the most common hazards inflicting tremendous damage to human life and material
properties is an earthquake. It is a natural phenomenon that poses great danger due to various
hazards it may bring. Though its impending occurence can be predicted the magnitude of its
impact to a community and its people is unpredictable. This makes earthquake one of the main
focus of disaster preparedness and emergency response activities of governments and different
emergency agencies.
What is an Earthquake?
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the preceptible shaking of the
surface of the Earth, resulting from the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates
seismic waves. (US Geological Science – USGS)
Potential Earthquake Hazards
Geologists explain that an earthquake is a type of hazard that depends on the strength of
seismic activity, along with such factors as local topographic and built features, subsurface
geology and ground water. A large earthquake will always be followed by a sequence of
aftershocks that normally aggravates its effects on human and material elements like buildings
and infrastructure.
The following are different hazards that normally result from the occurence of an earthquake:
1. Ground Shaking or Ground Motion
The Earth shakes with the passage of earthquake waves, which radiates energy that had been
‘”stored” in stressed rocks, and were released when a fault broke and the rocks slipped to relieve
the pent-up stress. The strength of the ground shaking is measured in the velocity of ground
motion, the acceleration of ground motion, the frequency content of the shaking and how long
the shaking continues (the “duration”).
If an earthquake generates a large enough shaking intensity, structures like building, bridges
and dam can be severely damaged, and clifts and sloping ground destabilized. Perched or stacked
objects may fall and injure or bury anyone close by. Ground shaking will vary over an area due
to such factors as topopgraphy, bedrock type, and the location and orientation of the fault
rupture. These all affect the way the seismic waves travel through the ground.
2. Ground or Surface Rupture
Surface rupture is an offset of the ground surface when fault rupture extends to the Earth’s
surface. Any structure built across the fault is at risk of being torn apart as the two sides of the
fault slip past each other.
Normal- and reverse- (collectively called dip-slip) faulting surface ruptures feature vertical
offsets while strike-slip faulting produces lateral offsets. Many earthquake surface ruptures are
combinations of both. Structures that span a surface fault are likely to suffer great damage
surface ruptures.
3. Liquefaction
Soil liquefaction is a phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil is reduced by
earthquake shaking or other apid loading. It normally occurs in saturated soils, that is, soils in
which the space between individual particles is completely filled with water. Prior to an
earthquake, the water pressure is relatively low—the weight of the buried soil rests on the
framework of grain contacts that comprise it. However, earthquake shaking can disrupt the
structure, the soil particles no longer support all the weight, and the groundwater pressure begin
to rise. The soil particles can move farther, and become entrained in the water – the soil flows.
Liquefied soil will force open ground cracks in order to escape to the surface. The ejected
material often results in flooding and may leave cavities in the soil.
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 their load 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 sea 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 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 haevy rainfall, the shaking
will result in more landslide 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
sudsonic Rayleigh waves from an earthquake or a tsunami. If correct and sunstantiated 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 sound of a tsuami as
it approaches the coast. As observed in Sri Lanka during the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the
elephant’s 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 survuved
when a tsunami struck Maikhao beach in Phuket, Thailand. Having learned recently in 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 arrived, and this
simple action saved dozens of lives.
What to Do Before, During and After an Earthquake
Before an Earthquake
1. Engage yourself in training activities that promote 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. This is
part of your prepartion.
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 you’re 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 thses 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 an earthquake, especially a strong one, quickly move to
higher grounds in anticipation of possible tsunamis.
7. Those who 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
Claret College of Isabela
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION
P.O. Box 8692 Roxas Avenue, Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 Philippines
Name: ________________________________________________Date: _________________
Grade Level: Grade 12 Output No.: 4
Earthquake Hazards
(LESSON/OUTPUT TITLE)
ACTIVITY 1:
Direction: Answer the following questions.
1. Identify various potential earthquake hazards.
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2. Explain the natural signs of an impending tsunami.
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REFLECTION:
Looking back, it was exactly 4:26 p.m. on Monday, 16 July 1990, that a killer earthquake
unexpectedly hit and extensively devasted the City of Baguio. The city suffered the most in
terms of destruction to properties and numerous deaths. It was estimated that as many as 1,000
people were trapped and killed in damaged buildings. Our country often experiences the
devastating effects of earthquakes, although these effects cannot be predicted nor prevented, as a
concerned student and an active member of your community, what are your environmental
miigation strategies to lessen the adverse effect of an earthquake and prevent loss of lives and
properties?
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EVALUATION:
Direction: 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 on the space
provided.
