GEOLOGIC Magnitude: it is the energy released by an
earthquake at the focus.
PROCESSES AND The magnitude of an earthquake is measured
by an instrument called seismograph. The scale of
HAZARDS measure used to calculate the magnitude of an
Geological Processes: earthquake is called the Richter Scale.
• Naturally occurring events that directly or
indirectly impact the geology of the Earth
• Examples include plate tectonics, weathering,
RICHTER SCALE
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain
formation, deposition, erosion, droughts,
flooding, and landslides
• Geological processes affect everyone, but are
most noticeable when they cause loss of life
or property,
known as natural disasters
Geologic Hazards:
• Extreme natural events in the Earth's crust
that pose a threat to life and property
• Examples include earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, tsunamis, and landslides
• Unpredictable nature makes identifying,
evaluating, and mitigating them a challenge
What is earthquake?
Earthquake is one of the most violent natural
phenomena. According to the number of victims and
destructive force, it exceeds all other natural
disasters. Earthquake Hazards:
• Ground Shaking: Vibration of the ground
Intensity: the strength of shaking produced by the during an earthquake
earthquake at a certain location. Intensity is • Surface Faulting: Displacement that reaches
determined from effects on people, human the Earth's surface during slip along a fault
structures, and the natural environment. • Landslides: Movement of rock, debris, or
earth down a slope
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS) • Liquefaction: Soil liquefying during ground
shaking, undermining foundations
• Tsunamis: Giant waves caused by
earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the
sea
Top 5 Destructive Earthquakes in the Philippines
1. (1968 August 02) Casiguran Earthquake
2. (1973 March 17)Ragay Gulf Earthquake
3. (1983 August 17) Laoag Earthquake
4. (1976 August 17) Moro Gulf Earthquake
5. (1990 February 08) Bohol Earthquake
What are volcanoes?
Volcanoes can be exciting and fascinating,
but are also very dangerous. Any kind of volcano can
create harmful or deadly phenomena, whether during
an eruption or a period of dormancy. Volcanoes are
natural systems and always have some element of
unpredictability.
• Climate and -related
weather hazards
What about volcanic eruption? Anthropogenic -Caused)
A volcanic eruption occurs when magma is (Human
• DeforestatiHazards:
released from a volcano. Volcanic eruptions are Minin
• on
major natural hazards on Earth. Volcanic eruptions • gClimate
can have a devastating effect on people and the change
environment. Hazard
Mapping
Hazard maps illustrate areas that are exposed or
Volcanic Eruption Hazards: particular
prone to hazards. They are used for natural
• Tephra: Pyroclastic fragments of any size and landslides,
hazards likeflooding, volcanic eruptions, and
origin (ash, lapilli, blocks, bombs) maps helpHazard
tsunamis. mitigate the potential negative effects of these
• Pyroclastic Flows: Dense, fast-moving flows hazards.
of lava pieces, ash, and hot gases Geophysical
• Lahars: Hot or cold mixtures of water and map
rock fragments flowing down volcano slopes
• Lava Domes: Viscous magma erupted
effusively and piling up around the vent
• Poisonous Gases: Gases released during
volcanic eruptions, primarily water vapor
The Philippines and Geologic Hazards:
• Located along the "Ring of Fire" and
"Typhoon Belt" - prone to volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, and typhoons
• Taal Volcano erupted in January 2020,
causing evacuations and airport closures
What is a Landslide?
A landslide is an occurrence in which soil, rocks, and
vegetation are suddenly or slowly transported down a
slope due to insufficient slope stability. Landslides
can be triggered by continuous rainfall, earthquakes,
and/or volcanic eruptions, often accompanied by a
loud noise.
Causes of Landslides
Landslides are caused by the failure of the materials
that make up the hill slope, driven by the force of
gravity. Human activities that can speed up or trigger
landslides include:
• Overloading slopes
• Mining using underground
explosives
• Excavation or displacement of rocks
• Land use modifications like construction of
roads, railways, buildings, etc.
• Quarrying and excavation
• Land pollution and degradation
• Deforestation and tree cutting
Effects of Landslides
Landslides can cause property damage, injury, and
death. They can also adversely affect a variety of
resources, such as:
• Water supplies
• Fisheries
• Sewage disposal systems
• Forests
• Dams
• Roadways
Hazard Mapping Partnerships in the
Philippines
The negative economic effects of landslides include repair costs, loss of property value, disruption of
transportation, medical costs, and lost resources like timber and fish.
Preparing for Landslides
Precautionary measures to observe in areas prone to landslides:
• Stay alert and awake, as many debris-flow fatalities occur when people are sleeping.
• Consider leaving the area if it is safe to do so.
• Listen for unusual sounds that might indicate moving debris.
• Be alert for sudden changes in water flow or water clarity in nearby streams or channels.
• Be cautious when driving, as bridges may be washed out and culverts may be overtopped.
• Be aware that strong earthquake shaking can induce or worsen the effects of landslides.
Hazards
A hazard is a phenomenon caused by natural or human forces that poses a threat to humans, animals,
property, and the environment.
Types of Geologic Hazards Natural Hazards:
• Earthquakes
• Volcanic eruptions
• Landslides
• Tsunamis
• Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) partners with news networks to share
scientific information and increase public understanding of geologic hazards.
• Manila Observatory, a private research institution, partners with the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) to produce hazard maps showing the country's vulnerability to
environmental disasters. These partnerships aim to better prepare and protect communities from the
impacts of natural geologic hazards.
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARDS
The Philippines has a tropical and maritime climate. Annually, the country is visited by an average of 20
typhoons, five to nine of which are highly destructive. The Philippines is situated in the Pacific typhoon belt
thus, the country is highly prone to hydrometeorological hazards. They are brought by extreme meteorological
and climate phenomena that includes tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, tornado (ipo-ipo) drought, and floods.
Tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones are known in various names depending
on the country where you live. In the Western North Pacific around the Philippines, Japan, and China the
storms are known as typhoons, while in the North
Atlantic Ocean and the Eastern North Pacific they are referred to as hurricane.
1 Amih: brings cloudless skies and nippy
The classification of tropical cyclones according to duringmornings
. an the dry season (October to late
the strength of the associated wind as 2 March)
Habag : brings heavy rains and some deadly
adopted by PAGASA as of 23 March 2022 are as . at
(June typhoons
to
follows: FloodSeptember)
s Flood is as an abnormal progressive rise in
1. TROPICAL DEPRESSION (TD) - a tropical level of
thea water
stream that may result
-flowing
in by the
cyclone with maximum sustained winds of up normal confines of the stream.
the over water ofA flood can vary in
to 62 kilometers per hour (kph) or less than 34 size, speed
of water, and
nautical miles per hour (knots) duration.
2. TROPICAL STORM (TS) - a tropical cyclone TornadIp -ip )
with maximum wind speed of 62 to 88 kph or o ( Aotornado
o is a narrow, violently rotating column
34 - 47 knots. extends from
of air thata thunderstorm to the ground. The
tornadoes
main causeare of thunderstorms though tornadoes are
3. SEVERE TROPICAL STORM (STS) , a
in the
not Philippines, still it can occur at any time of
common
tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of
the year.
87 to 117 kph or 48 - 63 knots.
4. TYPHOON (TY) - a tropical cyclone with
maximum wind speed of 118 to 184 kph or 64
- 99 knots.
5. SUPER TYPHOON (STY) - a tropical cyclone
with maximum wind speed exceeding 185 kph
or more than 100 knots.
Here are the top five destructive typhoons to
ever hit the
country:
1. Typhoon Haiphong (1881)
2. Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) (2013)
3. Tropical storm Thelma (Uring) (1991)
4. Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) (2012), and
5. Typhoon Angela (1867).
Monsoons
A monsoon is a seasonal wind and rains
pattern, and the
word “monsoon” believed to be originated from the
Arabic word mawsim (season), via Portuguese and
the Dutch monsun. There are two known monsoons
in the Philippines that occur every year: Summer
Southwest (Habagat) and Winter Northeast Monsoon
(Amihan).
Coastal Processes
Coastal processes are activities or events happening
in the marine environment, driven by different
environmental factors such as:
• Atmospheric pressure
• Temperature
• Movement of the Earth
• Movement of the moon
• Other dynamic changes in the ocean MARINE AND
The key coastal processes include:
Waves
PROCESS
COASTAL
Oceanograp
• Waves are caused by the movement of air
masses in the coastal environment.
ES
hy • The scientific field dealing with processes
happening in
ourmajor oceans and seas is called
Tides • Oceanography
oceanography.is an interdisciplinary field of
• Tides refer to the gravitational pull between integrates
science various fields such as physics,
that
the Earth and the moon. biology, geology, meteorology, mathematics,
chemistry,
social
and even
• sciences.
The goal of oceanography is to understand
between
the link humans and
oceans.
Sea Level Change • Barrier islands can be destroyed or
• Sea level change is a result of the rise of moved by erosion.
ocean water, which can be attributed to the 2. Flooding
melting of glaciers or icebergs in the polar • Flooding destroys habitats and
regions. may lead to great erosion.
Storm Surge • The main cause of this hazard
• Storm surge refers to the rising of seawater is submersion or sea level rise,
due to changes in pressure and wind a climate change phenomenon
associated with a storm. through which:
Crustal Movement • Ocean water volume increases
• Crustal movement is caused by the motion of • Ice sheets and glaciers melt
the oceanic and continental crust of the Earth. • Thermal expansion occurs
3. Freshwater Contamination
Effects of Marine and Coastal Processes • Intrusion or movement of saline water
The different coastal processes described above may to freshwater aquifers can lead to the
result to coastal hazards. Coastal hazards are degradation or contamination of
physical phenomena that expose the marine groundwater, including drinking water
environment to risk of property damage, loss of life resources.
and ecological degradation • Intrusion is aided by hydraulic action
but triggered by human activities.
Coastal Erosion Mitigation Methods to Coastal Hazards
It is the loss or displacement of land along the • Maintaining plant cover – This can result to
coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, improved vegetation
wind-driven water or other impacts of storms. Coastal • Monitoring and assessment - It ensures
erosion is a type of coastal hazard which is brought effective management of saltwater intrusion
about by the different coastal processes. cases.
Saltwater Intrusion • Regulation of Laws
It is a major concern commonly found in • Artificial recharge – It pumps freshwater to the
coastal aquifers around the world. An aquifer is an reservoir to prevent saltwater from intruding
underground layer of permeable rock, gravel, sand or through the coasts
silt. Groundwater from an aquifer is usually extracted • Engineering structures.
by a water well. Once an aquifer becomes • Jetties – It prevent coastal erosion by
contaminated it becomes unusable anywhere from 2 promoting beach build-up as they trap sand •
weeks to 10,000 years. Saltwater intrusion is the Prepare and emergency survival kit
induced flow of seawater into freshwater aquifers • Create an evacuation plan.
primarily caused by groundwater development near • Know where the evacuation center is and how
the coast. to get there.
Submersion • Listen to news from any means.
It refers to the movement of coastal • Seawalls - These are used to counteract
sediments from the visible portion of a beach to the waves that hit the shores. These are offshore
submerged nearshore region of the coast. structures that protect coasts from parallel
waves.
Mitigation to Coastal Processes and Hazards • Groins / Stone barriers – It intercepts the
steady flow of sand keeps the particular sand
Coastal Hazards from eroding.
Coastal processes in this zone may result in the • Breakwaters – It can be constructed along
following hazards: coasts to prevent further advancement of
saltwater if already present
• Beach nourishment – It is a method where a
large amount of sand is added to the coasts.
1. Barrier Islands Movement • Installation of small walls or sandbags – These
• Barrier islands are formed due to are used to counteract waves that hit the
deposition of sand brought by waves, shores.
protecting the mainland from damage • Beach dewatering – It involves pumping out
due to large waves. water from the shores to prevent erosion.
• They also provide habitat for aquatic • Construction of buildings in a safe distance
wildlife. from the water
• Ban of mining activities – This can cause
decrease in pollutants
PAGASA - Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and
Astronomical Services Administration
PHIVOLCS – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology
