Earthquakes and
faults
introduction
• Scientist have been observing Earth’s crust for thousands of years, and
they believe that it is moving in a prolonged process.
• Several scientific theories support this explanation and one of them is
the Plate Tectonics Theory.
• Plates (Tectonic Plates) or lithospheric plates are colossal broken
segments or pieces of Earth that carry the crust.
introduction
Main idea
• Earth’s crust is broken into fragments
that continuously interact with each
other.
• Plate Tectonics Theory states that the
Earth's outer shell is divided into several
plates that glide over the mantle.
• Plate Tectonics Theory focuses on the
forces that drive the movement of
Earth’s plates.
Plate tectonics theory
• The driving force behind plate tectonics is convection in the mantle.
• Hot material near the Earth's core rises, and colder mantle rock sinks.
Plate tectonics theory
earthquake
• It is the sudden shaking or movement of the crust.
• The shaking or vibration of the ground is due to sudden release of
energy from the rocks that fracture the lithosphere.
How earthquakes are generated?
• Earth is made up of distinct layers: crust (oceanic and continental),
upper and lower mantel, and outer and inner core.
• Of these layers Earthquake occur somewhere in the crust and the
lithosphere.
• The crust is the outermost portion of Earth that houses all living things.
It is characterized by various land features like volcanoes, islands,
continents, and mountains.
• The lithosphere is a region that carries the entire crust down to the
upper portion of the asthenosphere.
How earthquakes are generated?
How earthquakes are generated?
• As previously mentioned, the lithosphere have segments called
tectonic plates or lithospheric plates.
• The upper mantle also known as the asthenosphere, lies beneath the
lithosphere. It is considered as plastic solid and contains partially
molten rocks caused by high pressure and temperature.\
• This ‘’plastic solid’’ characteristic allows the partially molten rocks to
flow in convection pattern in the asthenosphere.
• As these rocks flow the overriding lithosphere that carries the crust
move along with it.
How earthquakes are generated?
How earthquakes are generated?
How earthquakes are generated?
How earthquakes are generated?
• As lithospheric plates and the crust move overtime, their rocks interlock
and deform, which cause stress and friction to build up.
• When the amount of stress and friction exceeds the strain pf threshold
rocks, they fracture, and the accumulated energy stored in it is released
causing tremors (Earthquake).
Faults
• These are fractures or breaks in the Earth’s
crust.
• Here, earthquake are most likely to occur
repeatedly.
• Devastating earthquakes which originates
from the fracturing of rocks in the crust or in
the lithosphere may result in the formation of
faults.
• Thus an earthquake originates in a fault.
This is the reason why faults or fault lines are
always associated with earthquakes.
faulting
• Occurs when there is movement or displacement of rock masses along
a fault.
• It is a result of tectonic forces applied to rock masses in the crust.
Three types of Tectonic Force
1. Compressional force – it pushes rocks in the crust to each other.
2. Tensional Force – Pulls crustal rocks away from each other.
3. Shearing Force - Enables rocks in the crust to slide past each other.
faulting
• Occurs when there is movement or displacement of rock masses along
a fault.
• It is a result of tectonic forces applied to rock masses in the crust.
Three types of Tectonic Force
Types of fault according to tectonic forces
1. Reverse Fault
• It is formed when a rock mass in the crust is pushed up relative to
the other rock mass due to compressional force.
Types of fault according to tectonic forces
2. Normal Fault
• When tensional force acts on rock masses in the crust, one rock
mass moves downward relative to the other.
Types of fault according to tectonic forces
2. Normal Fault
• It generally occurs in a place that is relatively high or elevated such
as plateau and in a region where the crust is extended or where the
crust shows an indication of being stretched.
Types of fault according to tectonic forces
3. Transform Fault
• It is produced when a rock mass on one side of a fault slides past
the other.
Transform
Types of fault according to tectonic forces
3. Transform Fault
• Seismologist believe that violent Earthquakes usually occur in this
type of fault.
Transform
Types of fault according level of activity
1. Active Faults
• These are faults in which all shallow earthquakes occur.
• These faults believed to have exhibited evidence of strong and
frequent earthquakes in the past thousand years, and are likely to
exhibit movements sometimes in the future.
Types of fault according level of activity
2. Inactive Faults
• Areas which have not displayed any seismic activities for more than
a thousands of years.
• However due to the complexity of earthquake activities, this fault
may trigger bigger quakes, which already studied and proven by
seismologist.
Parts of an earthquake: Focus and Epicenter
Parts of an earthquake: Focus and Epicenter
1. Focus or Hypocenter
• The underground point where the
fracturing of rocks occur.
• It is where the breaking first starts
and seismic energy is released.
Parts of an earthquake: Focus and Epicenter
2. Epicenter
• The place on the Earth’s surface
directly above the focus.
• It is where the first sudden
movement of ground is felt and
most severe damage by an
earthquake is sustained.
How Earthquakes are Measured?
• An earthquake can be measured by identifying its magnitude an
intensity.
Magnitude
• It pertains to the strength and size of an earthquake.
• It is a measure of the amount of energy released by an earthquake.
Intensity
• It measure the observed effects of an earthquake on people, geologic
structures, and man-made structures.
• It varies from one location to another.
How Earthquakes are Measured?
• An earthquake can be measured by identifying its magnitude an
intensity.
Magnitude
• It pertains to the strength and size of an earthquake.
• It is a measure of the amount of energy released by an earthquake.
Intensity
• It measure the observed effects of an earthquake on people, geologic
structures, and man-made structures.
• It varies from one location to another.
The pacific ring of fire
• It is known for its very active tectonic plates activities, which
consequently, result in an active earthquake activities.
• It covers countries bordering the pacific ocean, including the
Philippines, Japan, China, Canada, New Zealand, North and South
America, Chile, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Antarctica.
The pacific ring of fire
Tsunami
• It is a series of huge waves caused by an earthquake that occurs
underneath the ocean.
SEISMIC WAVE
• Seismic energy that is released from
the fracturing of rocks in the foci
(focus) of earthquakes.
• It has two types: Surface and Body
Waves.
Body WAVEs
• Seismic waves that travel through the interior of the Earth.
• It has two types: Primary waves and Secondary Waves
Body WAVEs
• Primary Waves
– This is the first to be recorded by a
seismograph because they are
high frequency seismic waves.
– It is a compressional wave that
can travel in all type of medium
(Solid, Liquid, and Gas)
– Causes small displacements of
the ground since the direction of
its propagation is angled mostly
within Earth’s interior.
Body WAVEs
• Secondary Waves
– Shear waves of high frequency and
the second to be detected by a
seismograph.
– They Travel only in a solid medium
– It makes the rock masses move
perpendicular to the direction of the
waves.
– It produces the most damage as it
displaces structures sideways.
surface WAVEs
• Seismic waves that travel through the outer layer (surface) of the Earth
• It has two types: Love waves and R Waves (Rayleigh Waves)
surface WAVEs
• Love Waves (L – waves)
– Seismic wave of low frequency, they
have long wavelengths and travel to the
ground horizontally, causing it to twist
from side-to-side but at right angles of
their propagation, and have the greatest
amplitude.
– Third to be recorded by a
seismograph.
– Just like S waves it causes the worst
damage to buildings and structures.
surface WAVEs
• Rayleigh waves (R-waves)
– These waves exist at any free
surface in a continuous body.
– They may be generated by large
earthquakes moving the ground up and
down and side-to-side or in a rolling
motion.
