Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education

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Module in Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

Grade 12
First Quarter
Week 7
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES
 Interpret different earthquake hazard maps (DRR11/12-If-g-20).
 Explain various volcano-related hazards (DRR11/12-Ih-i-22).

WHAT’S IN
Earthquake Hazard Maps
A hazard map is a map that shows areas that are vulnerable or at risk to a specific hazard. There is a separate
map for each hazard, which means, there is a hazard map that shows areas at risk from floods, landslides, storm surge,
and other hazards. For this module, the focus are hazard maps that indicate areas vulnerable to earthquakes and its hazards
such as tsunami and liquefaction.
In general, hazard maps have the following uses:
1. Are basis for risk reduction and hazard protection measures.
2. Give significant information for emergency planning.
3. Show potential risks to the communities, which raise their awareness and readiness for imminent and possible
disasters.
4. Are basis for spatial development plans and formulation of building rules and regulations for specific areas.

In our country, Philippines, earthquake hazard maps are created and provided by, and available in the websites of
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(NDRRMC), and Manila Observatory. Other geohazard maps are created and provided by, and available in the website of
the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
Geohazard maps include hazard maps that show areas at risk to earthquakes, earthquake-induced landslides, tsunamis,
ground shaking, ground rupture, liquefaction, and volcanic eruptions (to be discussed in the next module). You can see in
these hazard maps the color-coding and legends that show information such as level of susceptibility or risk (classified as
high, moderate, low, or no risk), and other hazard maps show the Philippine Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS). Philippine
Seismic Maps provided by PHIVOLCS show active faults, trenches, collision zones, depth of the earthquakes, and magnitudes
As an example, Figure 1 shows a Philippine earthquake hazard map. This shows the level of vulnerability of places to
earthquakes depicted as low, medium, and high. Locate your present location and/or your hometown province in the hazard
map. What is the level of vulnerability?

Figure 1. Risk to Earthquakes Hazard Map

Source:
http://vm.observatory.ph/images/Geophys_hires/risk_earthqua
kes.jpg
Volcanic Hazards
1. Lava flows are rivers of incandescent molten rock or lava that erupted from a crater or fissure and moves
downslope or away from an eruption vent. Lava can be erupted either through a nonexplosive or an explosive lava
fountain. The speed of lava flow depends on the following factors:
A. Steepness of the slope of the ground where it travels.
B. The type of lava and its viscosity.
C. Whether the lava flows in a restricted channel, down a lava tube or as a broad sheet.
D. Lava production rate at the vent.
Basaltic lava is the least viscous, in which, it can flow up to tens of kilometers from the erupting vent.
Andesitic lava is moderately viscous, in which, it can only flow a few kilometers per hour. Among the three types,
the rhyolitic lava is the most viscous, and with this property, it forms a lava dome over the eruption vent as it
flows at the slope of the ground.
Lava flows destroy all things at its path because of its extremely hot temperature. Basaltic lava has the
highest temperature ranging from 1000 to 2000 degrees Celsius, followed by andesitic lava with a temperature
range of 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius, and rhyolitic lava with a temperature of 650 to 800 degrees Celsius. Lava
can also melt glaciers, snows, or ices resulting into a lahar. Lava can also boils water as it enters a body of water
or a lava tube resulting into an explosive shower of molten spatter in a widespread area.

2. Pyroclastic fall occurs when pyroclastic fragments of rocks, or tephra, are ejected in a great distance and
propelled through the atmosphere that fallout from the plumes of a volcanic eruption. Tephra are fragments of
volcanic rocks which can be further classified according to their diameter. Tephra may be classified as blocks and
bombs (>than 64 mm), lapilli or Cinders (2-64 mm) or volcanic ash (<2 mm).
Blocks and bombs, although are expelled with excessive force, can only be deposited in close proximity
from the eruptive vent. Lapilli can upwardly carried within a volcanic plume or downwardly carried in a volcanic
cloud, however if this eruption cloud cooled down, it falls to the ground. Among the three types of tephra, volcanic
ash reach very long distances as it falls out of suspension.
Ash fall have harmful effects to human health, especially for those who already have respiratory or cardiac
diseases/problems. Ash fall can also cause disruption to land and air transportation, water and power supply,
communications, drainage canals and sewerage, and can cause damages to buildings, agriculture, and wildlife.

3. Pyroclastic flow is a mixture of pyroclastic fragments, specifically hot lava blocks, pumice and ash, and hot
volcanic gases that rush down volcanic slopes at very high-speed outward from the source vent. Most pyroclastic
flows have two parts, which is a basal flow of coarse fragments that moves along the ground, and a turbulent
cloud of ash that rises above the basal flow. Ash fall may also result from this cloud over a widespread area
downwind from the pyroclastic flow.
Pyroclastic flows can destroy houses and other structures, forests and farmlands, and can cause fatalities
and serious injuries to people and animals. Pyroclastic flows have extreme temperatures ranging between 200 and
700 degrees Celsius. It can travel at an average speed of 80 km/h. Pyroclastic flow can also melt and mix with
snow and ice generating secondary hazards such as flooding and lahars.

4. Lahar is a mudflow or debris flow, a mixture of pyroclastic materials and water rapidly flowing down a volcano
slope through rivers and channels. Lahar usually occurs when a volcanic eruption happens together with rainfall
contributed by typhoons, monsoons or thunderstorms. Lahars can have a speed more than 200 km/hr, and slow
down as it move farther away from the volcano, and as it move toward lowland areas.
Lahars can be generated with or without an eruption of a volcano. As mentioned earlier, a pyroclastic flow
can produce lahar when it mix with melted snow and ice due to extreme temperature, and rapidly travel down the
steep slope. A Lahar can also be produced when high-volume or long-duration rainfall happens after a volcanic
eruption. The rainwater can erode and mix with the loose volcanic sediments resulting into a mudflow. Furthermore,
lahars can also instigate landslides from the steep flanks of volcanoes.
Lahars can destroy buildings and other structures such as bridges and roads, and agricultural lands. It can
also cause loss of human and animal lives. In 1991, after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the Philippines was hit by a
major typhoon therefore generating a lahar that buried hundreds of square miles of land and killed an estimated
700 people.

5. Volcanic gases are gases that are released to the atmosphere during eruptions. Volcanic gases include water
vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride.
Water vapor is the most abundant volcanic gas, which is non-toxic or non-poisonous. Other volcanic gases in
significant amounts are toxic or poisonous to people, animals, and agricultural crops. In the Mt. Pinatubo eruption
in 1991, it emitted more than 250 megatons of gas in the atmosphere in just one day.
An estimated 180 to 440 million tons of Carbon dioxide (CO 2) are released by volcanoes in the Earth’s
atmosphere. It is lethal when a person inhales more than 3% CO 2, which leads to dizziness, headaches, increased
heart rate, and difficulty in breathing. Inhalation of air with exceeding 15% CO 2 can cause unconsciousness and
death. Furthermore, emissions of CO2, most especially in great amounts, can affect the global climate.
Other gases are sulfur dioxide (SO2) that can be irritating or damaging to the eyes, skin, and respiratory
system, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that can irritate the upper respiratory tract and can cause pulmonary edema in
high concentrations. Hydrogen halides such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), and hydrogen
bromide (HBr) are strong and harmful acids.

6. Ballistic projectiles are volcanic rocks directly ejected from the vent with force and trajectory. These rocks can
vary, which can be as small as an ash, or as a boulder. These rocks can travel from 2 to 5 km from the vent.

DRRR Q1W7 Prepared by: Mamon, MAC, Retio, CA, Ferrer, LA, & Bernante, ECR