Earthquake Philippines: 5 Deadliest Tremors

in History
More often than not, natural phenomena such as earthquake in the Philippines almost always
caught us off guard. The 7.2-magnitude quake that recently hit Central Visayas is no exception.
With over 150 casualties and astonishing number of damaged historical churches, the earthquake
that hit Visayan provinces on Tuesday is one of historys strongest. In fact, Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum said that its impact is almost
equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs.
What causes earthquakes?
Earthquake is formed when plates underneath the Earths surface move in different directions.
These plates often form a friction between each other in areas called faults. Once the impact of
the collision becomes significant, it sends a signal on an outward direction commonly known as
seismic waves.
Depending on the intensity, earthquakes may cause minor disruption or significant damage in
properties. Here are historys top 5 strongest earthquakes that caused major destruction in the
Philippines:
5. Bohol earthquake (2013) A 7.2-magnitude tremor that killed more than 150 people, destroyed
century-old churches and affected more than 3 million families in Central Visayas.
4. Mindoro earthquake (1994) A total of 1530 houses in the coastal areas of Baco and Calapan, Oriental
Mindoro were swept away by a tsunami generated by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake. The tragedy also
killed 78 people.
3. Casiguran earthquake (1968) This 7.3-magnitude earthquake killed a total of 270 people and also
caused massive landslides and tsunami in Casiguran, Aurora. Almost 300 people were also killed when
the Ruby Tower in Binondo collapsed as a result of the tremor.
2. Luzon earthquake (1990) On July 16, 1990, one of the strongest earthquakes to ever struck the
country occurred in several areas of Central Luzon and Cordillera region. This 7.8-magnitude tremor
resulted to a total of 1,621 deaths and serious damage in properties.
1. Moro Gulf earthquake (1976) With a 7.9 magnitude and almost 3,000 casualties, this Mindanao
earthquake is officially the strongest and deadliest earthquake in Philippine history. Almost 40, 000
people in Regions 9 and 12 were also left homeless by this tragedy.


An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of
energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic
activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a
period of time.
Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The moment magnitude is the
most common scale on which earthquakes larger than approximately 5 are reported for the entire
globe. The more numerous earthquakes smaller than magnitude 5 reported by national
seismological observatories are measured mostly on the local magnitude scale, also referred to as
the Richter scale. These two scales are numerically similar over their range of validity.
Magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes are mostly almost imperceptible or weak and magnitude 7 and
over potentially cause serious damage over larger areas, depending on their depth. The largest
earthquakes in historic times have been of magnitude slightly over 9, although there is no limit to
the possible magnitude. The most recent large earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or larger was a 9.0
magnitude earthquake in Japan in 2011 (as of March 2014), and it was the largest Japanese
earthquake since records began. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale.
The shallower an earthquake, the more damage to structures it causes, all else being equal
At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacement
of the ground. When the epicenter of a large earthquake is located offshore, the seabed may be
displaced sufficiently to cause a tsunami. Earthquakes can also trigger landslides, and
occasionally volcanic activity.
In its most general sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event whether
natural or caused by humans that generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by
rupture of geological faults, but also by other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine
blasts, and nuclear tests. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter.
The epicenter is the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter.
Aftershocks
An aftershock is an earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake, the mainshock. An aftershock is
in the same region of the main shock but always of a smaller magnitude. If an aftershock is larger than
the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is
redesignated as a foreshock. Aftershocks are formed as the crust around the displaced fault plane
adjusts to the effects of the main shock.





WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY WHEN SHAKING BEGINS
Your past experience in earthquakes may give you a false sense of safety; you didn't do anything,
or you ran outside, yet you survived with no injuries. Or perhaps you got under your desk and
others thought you overreacted. However, you likely have never experienced the kind of strong
earthquake shaking that is possible in much large earthquakes: sudden and intense back and forth
motions of several feet per second will cause the floor or the ground to jerk sideways out from
under you, and every unsecured object around you could topple, fall, or become airborne,
potentially causing serious injury. This is why you must learn to immediately protect yourself
after the first jolt... don't wait to see if the earthquake shaking will be strong!
In MOST situations, you will reduce your chance of injury if you:
DROP down onto your hands and knees (before the earthquakes knocks you down).
This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary.
COVER your head and neck (and your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or
desk. If there is no shelter nearby, only then should you get down near an interior wall (or
next to low-lying furniture that won't fall on you), and cover your head and neck with
your arms and hands.
HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be
prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around.
Wherever you are, protect yourself! You may be in situation where you cannot find shelter beneath
furniture (or low against a wall, with your arms covering your head and neck). It is important to think
about what you will do to protect yourself wherever you are.
Trying to moving during shaking puts you at risk: Earthquakes occur without any warning and may be
so violent that you cannot run or crawl; you therefore will most likely be knocked to the ground where
you happen to be. So it is best to drop before the earthquake drops you, and find nearby shelter or use
your arms and hands to protect your head and neck. "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" gives you the best
overall chance of quickly protecting yourself during an earthquake... even during quakes that cause
furniture to move about rooms, and even in buildings that might ultimately collapse.
DO NOT run outside or to other rooms during shaking: The area near the exterior walls of a building is
the most dangerous place to be. Windows, facades and architectural details are often the first parts of
the building to collapse. To stay away from this danger zone, stay inside if you are inside and outside if
you are outside. Also, shaking can be so strong that you will not be able to move far without falling
down, and objects may fall or be thrown at you that you do not expect. Injuries can be avoided if you
drop to the ground before the earthquake drops you.
O NOT stand in a doorway: An enduring earthquake image of California is a collapsed adobe home with
the door frame as the only standing part. From this came our belief that a doorway is the safest place to
be during an earthquake. True- if you live in an old, unreinforced adobe house or some older
woodframe houses. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house, and
the doorway does not protect you from the most likely source of injury- falling or flying objects. You also
may not be able to brace yourself in the door during strong shaking. You are safer under a table.