PhSc 116
GEOLOGICAL
HAZARDS
Natural Hazards and Human Activity
WHAT ARE
GEOHAZARDS?
Salford & Co.
GEOHAZARDS
Geo-hazards are naturally
occurring, geology-related
risks or potential dangers that
can threaten human lives and
damage properties. These
events often have serious
impacts and can lead to
disasters if communities are
not prepared or protected.
These become hazards because
humans, due to ignorance or
neglect, do not recognize sites or
areas where a man should not
undertake activities in places where
these natural phenomena are
taking place or in due time will likely
take place (RH. Rahn, 1996).
The Philippine Archipelago, due to
its geographical and geological
location, sits on a geo-hazard prone
area..
It is situated at the southwestern
rim of the Circum-Pacific "Ring of
Fire," where active geological
structures occur.
Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on
CATASTROPHIC DISASTERS June 12, 1991
IN PHILIPPINES Thousands of people were
rendered homeless
July 16, 1990 Earthquake in Luzon
Affected the provinces of Benguet, Cherry Hills Subdivision
Nueva Ecija, La Union, Pangasinan incident on August 3, 1999
Caused the complete or partial claimed the lives of more than
destruction of buildings and the death 50 persons and rendered
of hundreds of people many residents homeless.
Landslide in Panaon Island,
CATASTROPHIC DISASTERS Southern Leyte (December
IN REGION 8 19, 2003)
Killed more than 200 people
Flash flood in Ormoc City and and left hundreds of families
Burauen, Leyte on November 5, 1991 Landslide in Saint Bernard,
Claimed the lives of more than 8,000 Southern Leyte (February16,
persons and damage properties
amounting to several millions of pesos 2006)
had occurred claimed the lives of more than
1,000 people
COMMON
GEOHAZARDS
IN THE
PHILIPPINES
EARTHQUAKE refers to the violent shaking of
the ground produced due to
the sudden or abrupt
displacement of rocks or rock
materials below the earth's
surface.
vibrations of the earth caused
by seismic waves radiating
from some source elastic
energy
Tectonic Earthquakes
EARTHQUAKE are the most common
and destructive
Occur at depths of:
a.0 to 70 kilometers
(shallow)
b.70 to 300 kilometers
(intermediate)
c.300 to 700
kilometers (deep)
Service institute of the
Department of Science
EARTHQUAKE and Technology (DOST) •
Principally mandated to
mitigate disasters that may
arise from
Volcanic eruptions
Earthquakes
Tsunami
Other related
geotectonic
phenomena.
Region 8, in general, is a
highly seismic active region
EARTHQUAKE because of the presence of
at least two active
earthquake generators in
the area.
1. Philippine Fault -
traverses Leyte island
from north to south
2. Philippine Trench -
located east of the
eastern coast of Leyte-
Samar island.
PHILIPPINE FAULT
ZONE
1,200 kilometers in length from Luzon
to Mindanao.
Passes at the near center of Leyte
Island from Leyte, Leyte, in the north to
the town of St. Bernard in the south.
Sinistral laterally moving fault, or its left
side part is moving towards the south
and its right-side part is moving
northward at the rate of about 2.5
centimeters per year.
PHILIPPINE
TRENCH
Also known as Philippine Deep
About 60 kilometers from the eastern
coast of Eastern Samar
Generally trends approximately
northnortheast
More than 5 kilometers deep,
extending from the transform fault
east of Luzon to the offshore section of
eastern Mindanao.
PHILIPPINE
TRENCH
In this zone, the Philippine Sea Plate
gradually subducts westward beneath
the Philippine Mobile Belt at about 7 cm.
per year.
Indicated by a seismic zone that dips
west to depths of less than 200
kilometers.
Most of the earthquake occurrences
within Samar island and the surrounding
sea originate from this subduction zone.
LANDSLIDE Refers to the
downslope movement
of soil and rock
materials detached
from the slope.
Originally located in the
soil or bedrock carried
down by agents of
erosion and gravity.
Downslope movement
LANDSLIDE along a sliding plane could
be classified as:
Earthflow
Debris flow
Rockslide
Other common technical
terms analogous to
landslides are rapid mass-
movement and slope
failure.
The susceptibility of an
area to landslides
LANDSLIDE depends on factors like:
Geological
structure
Lithology of rocks
Hydrogeological
conditions
Weathering
Stage of
morphological
development
Slope failures are
LANDSLIDE usually enhanced by
subsurface over
saturation by water
due to prolonged
heavy rain and ground
vibration due to
strong to very strong
earthquakes (seismic
activity)
VOLCANIC Naturally fundamental
geological process
ERUPTION whereby molten materials,
ashes and rocks are
emitted or ejected from
the vent of the volcano
Technically, the molten
material is called magma
or lava. Sometimes lava
may come out from a
fissure or fracture, which is
also part of volcanic
activity.
VOLCANIC
ERUPTION Being situated along
the "Pacific Ring of
Fire," the Philippine
Archipelago has
about 200 volcanoes.
About 22 have been
classified by
PHIVOLCS as active
VOLCANIC
ERUPTION The most active
volcano in the
Philippines is the Mt.
Mayon, which had
erupted for at least
58 (as of 2018) times
since 1616
LIQUEFACTION
Process that transforms
the behavior of a water-
saturated deposit from a
solid to liquid.
During strong ground
shaking due to
earthquake, a liquefying
sandy deposit lost its
resistance to deformation.
LIQUEFACTION
A deposit exhibiting
liquefaction undergoes
unlimited deformation,
yielding readily to
overlying human-made
structures.
Severe structure tilting
and subsidence occur.
LIQUEFACTION
Extensive sand-boil
(water that comes out
onto the ground surface
during an earthquake
resulting from liquefaction
at shallow depth)
manifestations are
commonly observed
LIQUEFACTION
Liquefaction induced effects
can be classified into:
1. The decrease of lateral
bearing capacity of the
ground.
2. Decrease of vertical
bearing capacity of the
ground.
3. The decrease of up-lift
force and the flow of soil
particle/ water.
COASTAL Geo-process where beach
sediments (or any
EROSION weathered materials) are
gradually or abruptly
removed or washed-out by
sea-related erosional
agents.
The angle in which the
approaching waves behave
as it approaches the
shoreline is controlled by
the coastline's configuration
and the prevailing wind.
CARBONATE
SINKHOLES
Carbonate rocks,
particularly limestone, has a
general chemical
composition of Calcium
Carbonate (CaC03 ).
Essentially gradually
soluble in slightly acidic
water, particularly low
pH groundwater.
CARBONATE
SINKHOLES
Small fractures within
the carbonate bedrocks
penetrated by acidic
groundwater are
gradually being enlarged
due to carbonate
material dissolution.
CARBONATE
SINKHOLES
These fractures became solution
channel ways and, when
significantly enlarged, become
caves and caverns.
These underground structures or
sinkholes commonly become
part of the drainage system of an
area.
Houses or buildings built over
cavern roofs are in a quite
dangerous potential hazard area.
COMMON
MITIGATING
MEASURES
SLOPE STABILITY STRUCTURES
Among the engineering techniques that can be used include:
Retaining wall structures •
Drainage pipes
Adequate drainage facilities
Grading
Erosion control structures
One of the most common applications is using concrete
block walls, poured or sprayed concrete rock bolt, or gabions
(rocks contained in wire mesh cages) to strengthen slopes
and help resist landslide stress
SLOPE STABILITY STRUCTURES
SLOPE STABILITY STRUCTURES
Slope stability is
generally necessary to
either reduce the forces
tending to cause
movement or Increase
the forces resisting the
movement, which can be
achieved or done even
during construction.
GOOD DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
Slopes that are subject
to creep or potential
mass movement
occurrences can be
stabilized by keeping the
surface run-off out of the
upslope or downslope
areas
Thus, preventing the
shear strength from
diminishing.
GOOD DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
Drainage pipes or canals
prevent excess surface
run-off from seeping into
the soil/sediment
Thus, avoiding the
increase of pore-water
pressure, resulting in over-
saturation of the potential
slide material
PLANTING OF DEEP-ROOTED TREES
Another approach for the
soil slope stabilization is
the planting of deep-
rooted trees and/or
hardwoods.
Help minimize soil erosion
by decreasing the soil's
water storage and
reducing its vulnerability
to slope failure.
PLANTING OF DEEP-ROOTED TREES
A good vegetation cover
also retards water travel
from the leaves down to
the ground minimizing
water percolation.
A greater percentage of
the water has already
evaporated into the
atmosphere.
RECHANNELING OR DECLOGGING
OF STREAM
River channels are
modified or engineered
for many different
reasons.
Some common goals of
channel modification
include controlling of flood
and erosion.
RECHANNELING OR DECLOGGING
OF STREAM
Engineering protection from
floods includes
rechannelization, whereby it
involves a combination of
straightening, deepening,
widening, clearing, or installing
levees
May locally reduce the
amount, duration and lateral
extent of flooding
CONSTRUCTION OF DIKES AND
GROINS
Engineering structures
along the coast are
generally built to
protect the shoreline
from erosion and
control littoral drift for
beach stabilization
purposes.
AVOID CONSTRUCTING
BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES ALONG
ACTIVE FAULT LINE
The destructive effects of
earthquakes are mainly due to
intense ground shaking or
tremors.
The severe ground shaking may
cause buildings to tilt, split,
topple, or collapse.
The foundation of roads, railroad
tracks, and bridges may break. •
Electric posts may tilt or topple
AVOID CONSTRUCTING
BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES ALONG
ACTIVE FAULT LINE
Water pipes and other utility
installations may get
dislocated.
Dams and similar structures
may breach or break and
cause flooding, landslides
Other forms of mass
movement may occur in hilly
and mountainous areas.
OTHER MITIGATING MEASURES
1. Formulation of appropriate land use plans;
2. Enforcement of building codes and good
construction practice;
3. Establishment of early warning systems;
4. Plans network of escape routes and "safe"
places
5. Construction of "safe" evacuation centers
and/or community preparedness and
awareness building.
SOME
ADAPTATIONS
FOR GEO-HAZARDS
The National Climate Assessment defines adaptation
as an "action to prepare for and adjust to new
conditions, thereby reducing harm or taking
advantage of new opportunities.
1. Evacuation to an elevated and safe area to reduce the
danger from floods
2. Personal and household preparations for any geo-
hazards, such as water, food, medicine, clothes, a radio
with a dry cell, a flashlight, and others
3. Join earthquake drills and other safety measures
initiated by the Local Government Units.
SUMMARY
Geo-hazards are naturally occurring
geologically related risks or potential dangers
to human lives and properties, which are the
following;
Earthquakes
Landslides
Volcanic Eruptions
Liquefaction
Coastal Erosion
Carbonate Sinkholes
Adaptations and Mitigation (The
Solution)
Slope Stability Structures
Good Drainage Systems
Planting Deep-Rooted Trees
Avoid Building along Active Faults
Enforce Building Codes
Personal and Household
Preparations
THANK YOU!