Module 4

Active and
Inactive Faults
Objectives

In this module, you will differentiate

active and inactive faults. (S8ES - IIa-
15)

Specifically, you should be able to:

✓ Differentiate active and inactive faults.

✓ Identify active and inactive faults.
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.

1. What is the main difference between an active and inactive

fault?

a. An active fault is an area which had not displayed any seismic activity
for more than 10,000 year, while an inactive fault displayed seismic
activities over the period.

b. An inactive fault is an area which displayed seismic activity for the past
10,000 years while active fault had not displayed any seismic activity.

c. An inactive fault is an area which had not displayed any seismic activity
for more than 10,000 years, while active fault displayed seismic activities
over the period.

d. Both active and inactive faults had not displayed any seismic activities
for more than 10,000 years.
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
2. Analyze the table below. The following are the distinctive features between
active and inactive faults. Which do you think describes an active and inactive
fault? Most part of the upper lithosphere experiences

A B
Shows seismic activity Shows no seismic
over activity
100,000 years at longer years
Most part of the upper Younger rocks are
lithosphere experiences affected by the seismic
shaking more often activity

a. A is active fault while B is inactive fault.

b. B is active fault while A is inactive fault.
c. A is both active and inactive fault.
d. B is both active and inactive fault
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
3. Which of the following correctly compare active and inactive
faults?
Active Fault Inactive Fault

A Fault that has no record of Fault that has records of seismic

seismic activity for the past activities for the past thousands
thousands of years of years
B Fault that has records of Fault that has no record of
seismic activities for the seismic activity for the past
past thousands of years thousands of years
C Fault that may produce
Faults that are presently
earthquake in the near
generating earthquakes
future.
D Faults that continuously
Faults that are sleeping
producing earthquake from time
and dormant.
to time
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
For items 4 to 5, refer to the table below

4. Active fault is to _____________; while inactive fault is to _______________.

a. Aglubang fault; North Bohol fault c. Toro fault; El Tambor fault

b. Aglubang fault; Toro fault d. Toro fault: Aglubang fault
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
For items 4 to 5, refer to the table below

5. Which of the following statement is TRUE about the table?

a. Toro fault is an active fault while Aglubang fault is an inactive

fault.
b. Aglubang fault is an active fault while Toro fault is an inactive
fault.
 Pre-Test

Answer Key:

1. c
2. a
3. b
4. b
5. b
Fact of Bluff

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT
Fact of Bluff
 Activity 1

Objectives:
After doing this activity, you should be able to differentiate active
faults from inactive faults.

Procedure:
Study the table below showing the list of faults found here in the
Philippines and Columbia with their location and records of seismic
activities.
 With recorded Record of
seismic activity earthquake over
Fault Location Length
for the past the past 10 000
10,000 years years
Extends from Bulacan and
Marikina
runs through provinces of
Valley Fault 146 km Yes 1658, 1771
Rizal and Metro Manila and
System
ends in Canlubang.
North Bohol 1981, 1990, Bohol
Bohol Province,
or Inabanga 6 km Yes Earthquake
Philippines
Fault October 15, 2013
El Tambor Cauca and Valle del Cauca, 117.5
No
Fault Columbia km
Mindoro
Aglubang
Mindoro, Philippines 35 km Yes earthquake in
Fault
1994
61.9
Toro Fault Risaralda, Columbia No
km
Guide Questions:

1. Which faults have records of seismic activity for the past 10,000 years?

2. Which faults have no records of seismic activity for the past 10,000 years?

3. How will you classify faults that have records of seismic activities and earthquake
for the past thousand years?

4. How will you classify faults that have no records of seismic activities and earthquake
for the past thousand years?
Guide Questions:

5. Based from the given data, which faults can be considered as active? Why?

6. Based from the given data, which faults can be considered as inactive? Why?

7. In your own words, differentiate an active fault from an inactive fault.

Guide Questions:

1. Which faults have records of seismic activity for the past 10,000 years?
Answer: Marikina Valley Fault System, North Bohol or Inabanga Fault,
Aglubang Fault

2. Which faults have no records of seismic activity for the past 10,000 years?
Answer: El Tambor Fault, Toro Fault
3. How will you classify faults that have records of seismic activities and earthquake
for the past thousand years?
Answer: Faults that have records of seismic activities and earthquakes for
the past thousand years are classified as active faults.

4. How will you classify faults that have no records of seismic activities and earthquake
for the past thousand years?
Answer: Faults that have no records of seismic activities and earthquakes
for the past thousand years are classified as Inactive faults.
Guide Questions:

5. Based from the given data, which faults can be considered as active? Why?
Answer: Marikina Valley Fault system, North Bohol or Inabanga and
Aglubang Faults because they have records of seismic activities for the past 10,000
years.

6. Based from the given data, which faults can be considered as inactive? Why?
Answer: El Tambor and Toro faults because they have no records of seismic
activities for the past 10,000 years.

7. In your own words, differentiate an active fault from an inactive fault.

Answer: Active faults show seismic activity within 100,000 years while
Inactive faults do not show any seismic activity and pose no threat.
 What is Active and Inactive Fault
Faults are zones of weakness in the crusts and earthquakes occur repeatedly in these areas.
Ninety five percent of all the world’s earthquakes occur along active plate boundaries. The
places like California, Alaska, Japan, South America and the Philippines are all on plate
boundaries. Only five percent are associated with volcanic activities.
Faults maybe active or inactive. Active faults can be
defined as a fault that will possibly be the cause of
another earthquake in the near future. Active faults
are areas where rock displacement can occur.
According to seismologists, faults are considered
active if there has been observed movement during
the last 10,000 years. Some faults only have
earthquake once in thousand years. Active fault tend
to occur within the edges of tectonic plates.

Inactive faults are areas that do not produce

earthquakes. Inactive faults are those that had not
exhibited activity for million of years. They do not
show signs of generated earthquake within the last
10,000 years but possibly still generate earthquakes
in the future. If a fault has been inactive for a million
of years, its certainly safe to call it inactive. However,
some faults only have earthquakes once in thousand
 Activity 2
Direction: Differentiate active and inactive fault by completing the Venn Diagram below.

Active Fault Inactive Fault

 Activity 2
Direction: Differentiate active and inactive fault by completing the Venn Diagram below.

-Those faults that -those faults that

SHOW seismic DO NOT show
activities over Both are signs of generated
100,000 years cracks on earthquakes for
the Earth’s the past 100,000
-can produce Crust years
earthquakes

Active Fault Inactive Fault

 Activity 2
Direction: Using the Map of active faults in the Philippines and the
actual Map
of the Philippines, can you tell name active faults and some places that
can be
affected in case these faults generate earthquakes?
Possible Places to
Area Name of Fault
be affected

LUZON

Bicol Region

Visayas

Mindanao
 Activity 2
Direction: Using the Map of active faults in the Philippines and the
actual Map
of the Philippines, can you tell name active faults and some places that
can be
affected
Area in case these
Name faults generate earthquakes?
of Fault Possible Places to be affected

Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Montalban, San

Marikina Valley Fault/West
Mateo, Muntilupa, San Pedro, Binan,
LUZON valley
Carmona, Santa Rosa, Calamba, Tagaytay,
Fault Line
Oriental Mindoro
Extends from Philippine Trench of NE Samar,
Bicol Region Legazpi Lineament Bicol Basin passes Albay Gulf and Bicol Peninsula Lake
Bato and Mt. Mayon sit on it
North: Inabanga, Tubigon, Buenavista, Clarin,
Bohol Fault System or
Visayas Inabanga Fault
Trinidad
East: Loboc, Bilar, Batuan, Carmen
Moro Gulf, Celebes Sea
Mindanao Mindanao Fault
Caraga Region, AgusanCotabato
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.

1. What is the main difference between an active and inactive

fault?

a. An active fault is an area which had not displayed any seismic activity
for more than 10,000 year, while an inactive fault displayed seismic
activities over the period.

b. An inactive fault is an area which displayed seismic activity for the past
10,000 years while active fault had not displayed any seismic activity.

c. An inactive fault is an area which had not displayed any seismic activity
for more than 10,000 years, while active fault displayed seismic activities
over the period.

d. Both active and inactive faults had not displayed any seismic activities
for more than 10,000 years.
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
2. Analyze the table below. The following are the distinctive features between
active and inactive faults. Which do you think describes an active and inactive
fault? Most part of the upper lithosphere experiences

A B
Shows seismic activity Shows no seismic
over activity
100,000 years at longer years
Most part of the upper Younger rocks are
lithosphere experiences affected by the seismic
shaking more often activity

a. A is active fault while B is inactive fault.

b. B is active fault while A is inactive fault.
c. A is both active and inactive fault.
d. B is both active and inactive fault
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
3. Which of the following correctly compare active and inactive
faults?
Active Fault Inactive Fault

A Fault that has no record of Fault that has records of seismic

seismic activity for the past activities for the past thousands
thousands of years of years
B Fault that has records of Fault that has no record of
seismic activities for the seismic activity for the past
past thousands of years thousands of years
C Fault that may produce
Faults that are presently
earthquake in the near
generating earthquakes
future.
D Faults that continuously
Faults that are sleeping
producing earthquake from time
and dormant.
to time
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
For items 4 to 5, refer to the table below

4. Active fault is to _____________; while inactive fault is to _______________.

a. Aglubang fault; North Bohol fault c. Toro fault; El Tambor fault

b. Aglubang fault; Toro fault d. Toro fault: Aglubang fault
 Pre-Test
Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct
answer.
For items 4 to 5, refer to the table below

5. Which of the following statement is TRUE about the table?

a. Toro fault is an active fault while Aglubang fault is an inactive

fault.
b. Aglubang fault is an active fault while Toro fault is an inactive
fault.
 Post-Test

Answer Key:

1. c
2. a
3. b
4. b
5. b