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Science
Learners Module
Unit 2 Module 1
Department of Education
Republic of the Philippines
Science Grade 8
Learners Module
First Edition, 2013
ISBN: 978-971-9990-72-7
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Published by the Department of Education
Secretary: Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC
Undersecretary: Yolanda S. Quijano, Ph.D.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Unit 2: Earth and Space
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UNIT 2
Earth and Space
Module 1
Earthquakes and Faults
Unit 2
MODULE
EARTHQUAKES AND
FAULTS
Overview
If you recall, it was mentioned in Grade 7 that the Philippines is located along
the Ring of Fire. How does this affect us? People who live along the Ring of Fire
have to put up with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In this module, we will focus
on earthquakes.
An earthquake is one of the most frightening things that anyone can ever
experience. You grow up believing that the Earth is rock solid and steady. But then
the ground suddenly shakes and you do not know what to believe anymore.
Strong earthquakes have caused countless deaths all over the world, even
before people have started recording these events. No wonder scientists have been
working very hard to find a way to predict when an earthquake occurs.
No one can stop quakes from happening. But there are things that people can
do to avoid or reduce loss of life and damage to property. The first step is to have a
clear understanding of the occurrence of earthquakes.
What is a Fault?
On July 16, 1990, a strong earthquake hit Luzon. Have you heard about it?
Maybe not, because it happened before you were born. But if your parents are from
Luzon, they surely know about the earthquake. It is possible that they were even
affected by it.
During that earthquake, many people lost their lives and many more were
injured. A lot of buildings and other structures were either damaged or destroyed. The
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earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 and its epicenter was located in Nueva Ecija.
According to scientists, the earthquake was caused by movement along the
Philippine Fault.
Fault, epicenter, magnitude. Do you know what these terms mean? You will
learn about them in this module. Let us start with faults.
Earthquakes are associated with faults. When a fault suddenly moves, an
earthquake occurs. Do you know what a fault is? Do the following activity to find out.
Activity 1
A fault-y setup
Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to:
1.
2.
Materials Needed:
two sheets of cardboard (or folder)
fine sand
ruler
newspaper (or plastic sheet ) as wide as a newspaper page
Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
Pour sand along the boundary of the two sheets (Figure 2).
4.
With the ruler, flatten the top of the sand and make two parallel lines.
5.
Q1.
Q2.
Figure 4. Can you spot the fault? (Image courtesy of the GEER Association and
National Science Foundation)
If you look at the picture carefully, you can guess that the road was originally
in one piece. But the road is no longer continuous. There is a cut across the road and
now there are two sections. One section has moved with respect to the other.
Compare what you see in the picture and what you saw in the activity. Is there
something in the picture that looks like what was formed in the activity? Do you see
anything similar?
Based on the activity and the picture, you can probably guess what a fault is
by now. A fault is a break in the Earths crust, and along the break, significant
movement has taken place.
Activity 2.
Stick n slip
Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to:
1.
2.
Materials Needed:
two small boxes (fruit juice boxes are ideal)
masking tape
rubber band
paper clip
Procedure:
1.
Attach the rubber band to the paper clip. Then attach the paper clip to one
end of one box. (See Figure 5. The ruler is included for scale.)
2.
Place the boxes side by side. Put a toy house on the box with the rubber
band. Then tape (lightly?) the two boxes together as shown in Figure 6.
Important: Do not stick the tape on the boxes too much. The tape is meant to
come off.
3.
With your left hand, hold the box without the rubber band in place. With your
other hand, slowly pull on the rubber band in the direction shown in Figure 7.
Q3.
Q4.
Keep on pulling on the rubber band. What happens to the box attached to the
rubber band? Note: The tape is supposed to come off, so stick it on very
lightly.
Q5.
Q6.
Imagine the boxes as the ground, and the boundary between them as a fault.
Energy from inside the Earth makes the ground move. You simulate this by pulling on
the rubber band. There is no movement right away because of friction. (What
represents friction in the activity?)
Once friction is overcome, the ground suddenly moves and an earthquake
occurs. Some scientists describe this process as stick and slip. At first, the rocks are
stuck together due to friction. Later, the rocks suddenly slip, generating an
earthquake. Every time a fault slips, the Earth quakes.
In the activity, there was a sudden jerk, but no shaking. The boxes did not
shake as in a real earthquake. Let us see what the next model does (shows?).
Activity 3.
Stick n shake
Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to:
1.
2.
Materials Needed:
two plastic rulers
a bit of clay
Procedure:
1.
Using the clay, attach the rulers ends together (how long is the overlap
between rulers?) (Figure 8 shows closeup photos of side and top views of
the setup.)
2.
Hold the rulers as shown in the picture below. Then slowly move your hands
in the direction of the arrows.
Q8.
The activity you just performed simulates how rocks bend along a fault. Think
of the rulers as if they were part of the ground. Figure 11 can help you visualize this.
Drawing A shows how the rocks look at first. Then energy from inside the
Earth makes the rocks bend (Drawing B). But as mentioned earlier, the rocks along
the fault do not move immediately. Friction keeps them in place. (In the activity, what
represents friction?)
When too much bending occurs and the limit is reached, the rocks suddenly
snap (Drawing C). The bent rocks straighten out and vibrate. The vibrations travel in
all directions and people in different places will feel them as a quake. An earthquake
is a vibration of the Earth due to the rapid release of energy.
Activity 4.
Where does an earthquake start?
Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to:
1.
2.
Materials Needed:
fault model
scissors
paste
Procedure:
1.
Photocopy the Fault Model (Figure 12; you can also trace it on paper). Then cut
along the outlines of the two drawings.
2.
Fold along the lines and paste where indicated. In the end, you should have a
model consisting of two parts that fit together (Figure 13).
3.
The upper surface of the model represents the surface of the Earth. The trace
of the fault on the surface of the Earth is called the fault line. Be ready to point
out the fault line when your teacher calls on you.
4.
Pull the two pieces apart (Figure 14). The flat surface between the two pieces is
called the fault plane. This is where fault slip or fault movement happens. Point
out the fault plane when your teacher asks you.
5.
The place where the fault begins to slip is called the focus. It is where the first
movement occurs. Thus, the focus is the origin of the earthquake. Be ready to
explain it to your teacher.
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Figure 12. Fault Model
Figure 12. Fault Model
Figure 13. (Left) The fault model is made of two parts that fit together.
(Right) The flat surface between the two parts represents the fault plane.
6.
Put the two pieces of the model together. The focus is now hidden
underground. Now, imagine a vertical line from the focus to the upper
surface of the model. Mark the place where you expect the line to come out.
The spot directly above the focus on the surface of the Earth is called the
epicenter. Show the epicenter of your model to your teacher.
Q9.
Use your model to show different types of movement along a fault. How
would the surroundings be affected?
Description
II
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Intensity
Scale
III
IV
Description
Weak - Felt by many people indoors especially in upper floors of
buildings. Vibration is felt like one passing of a light truck. Dizziness
and nausea are experienced by some people. Hanging objects
swing moderately. Still water in containers oscillates moderately.
Moderately Strong - Felt generally by people indoors and by some
people outdoors. Light sleepers are awakened. Vibration is felt like a
passing of heavy truck. Hanging objects swing considerably. Dinner,
plates, glasses, windows, and doors rattle. Floors and walls of wood
framed buildings creak. Standing motor cars may rock slightly.
Liquids in containers are slightly disturbed. Water in containers
oscillate strongly. Rumbling sound may sometimes be heard.
Strong - Generally felt by most people indoors and outdoors. Many
sleeping people are awakened. Some are frightened, some run
outdoors. Strong shaking and rocking felt throughout building.
Hanging objects swing violently. Dining utensils clatter and clink;
some are broken. Small, light and unstable objects may fall or
overturn. Liquids spill from filled open containers. Standing vehicles
rock noticeably. Shaking of leaves and twigs of trees are noticeable.
VI
VII
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Intensity
Scale
Description
VIII
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B)
Where would damage be more? Near the epicenter or away from the
epicenter?
C)
Study the map and find out where you live. Is there an active fault passing by
your town, province, or region? If so, are you and your family prepared for the
occurrence of an earthquake?
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Activity 5.
Tsunami!
Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to:
1.
2.
Materials Needed:
flat basin or laundry tub (batya)
water
rectangular piece of plastic panel or plywood
rock
Procedure:
1.
Put water in the container. Place the rock in the water at one end of the
container
(Figure 15).
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2.
At the other end of the container, put the plastic panel flat at the bottom of the
container (Figure 16, left).
3.
You will need some help: a person to watch the surface of the water, and
another to watch the level of water by the rock. Things will happen quickly, so
make sure your assistants are alert.
4.
Hold the corners of the plastic panel with your thumbs and fingertips. Wait for
the water to stop moving. Using only your fingertips, jerk the edge of the
plastic board upward (Figure 16, right).
Figure 16. (Left) The plastic panel placed flat at the bottom of the container.
(Right) Wait for the water to stop moving, then suddenly jerk the edge of the plastic
panel upward (see white arrow).
Q10.
What was formed in the water by the sudden push of the plastic panel?
Q11.
How was the water level by the rock affected by the wave?
Q12.
Q13.
Faults are found not only on land but also under the sea. When a fault at the
bottom of the sea suddenly moves, the water above it can be affected. A sudden
push from an underwater fault can produce a wave called a tsunami.
Unlike a wave that is formed by the wind, a tsunami is so much more
powerful. Wind waves are just sea-surface waves. In comparison, a tsunami involves
the whole depth of the sea, from the seafloor to the surface.
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Far from the shore, a tsunami is low, maybe just a meter high. But it travels at
the speed of a jet plane. When the tsunami reaches the shore, it slows down but it
grows in height.
A tsunami is very destructive because the force of the whole ocean is behind
it. This is the reason why whole towns and cities are totally devastated after a
tsunami attack.
So, how are earthquakes related to tsunamis? When a fault suddenly moves
on land, you get an earthquake. But if a fault suddenly moves in or near a body of
water, you may get a tsunami in addition to the earthquake.
Thus, when you are near the sea and you feel a strong earthquake, treat that
as a warning signal. Run to the highest place you can find, or if you have a vehicle,
evacuate inland.
Not every fault movement beneath the sea will produce a tsunami. Those
faults that move in a horizontal direction or sideways will not result in a tsunami. The
fault has to move in the vertical sense. In the activity, a sudden upward push
triggered the wave.
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As the waves reach the core, one kind of seismic wave (s-waves) disappears.
That means that the outer core is liquid. At certain depths, the waves are reflected
and refracted (bent). That means the Earth must be layered.
Thus, earthquake waves give us a picture of the Earths interior, the way an
ultrasound provides an image of a baby inside the womb. This is why scientists
know a bit about the interior of our home planet, even if no one has gone deep into
the Earth yet.
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