Pacific Ring of Fire

Grade 10 !
Teacher: Ms. Lyndly V. Tanquerido

Activity 1:
“A Volcanic Review”
Recall the previous lesson
by answering the following
questions.
1.How many volcanoes does the
Philippines have?
2.How many of these volcanoes are

active?
3.What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?

How are the Pacific
Ring of Fire and
Earthquakes Related?
What is the
“Pacific Ring of
Fire?
The Pacific Ring of Fire
is the region in the
Pacific that has the
highest concentration of
active volcanoes and
volcanic activity on
Earth.
The countries lying in
this area are said to be
at risk of earthquakes
and the dangers of
volcanic eruption.
What countries are
inside this region?
Ocean
Ridges
Aside from volcanoes on
land, there are also
volcanoes under the sea.
This chain of volcanoes
under the sea is called
oceanic ridges.
These oceanic ridges are
important in the formation of
new seafloor.
Earthquakes
An earthquake is the
shaking of the ground due
a sudden release of force
under the ground or a
volcanic eruption.
Earthquakes are dangerous
because it can cause damage to
properties and even death. It
can damage the foundation of a
building, roads, bridges, and
even liquefy a solid ground.
The strength and damage
caused by earthquakes are
measured through two
types of scales:
1. Richter Scale –
measures the strength
released by an earthquake.
2. Modified Mercalli
Intensity scale –
measures earthquake
based on its effect to the
environment and people.
In the Philippines, the
Philippine Institue of
Volcanology and
Seismology (PHIVOLCS)
uses a system called
PHIVOLCS Earthquake
Intensity Scale, which
replaced the Rossi-Forel
scale previously used in
the country.
Anatomy of an
Earthquake
What are the
important points to
know about the
earthquake?
Epicenter
• The Epicenter is the area on the surface of
the Earth that is directly above the
earthquake.
• In most case, the epicenter receives

the greatest amount of damage from
the earthquake, most especially if the
cause of the earthquake movement is
the movement of fault.
Focus
• Focus is also called the hypocenter
because it is below the epicenter.
• The focus is the point deep

in the surface of the Earth
where the quake originates.
• The energy from the focus of an
earthquake radiates in all
directions.
• This is caused by the sudden

release of energy when a
rock breaks during the
movement in the fault.
Seismic Waves/ Wave
Fronts
• Seismic waves or wave fronts
are waves that originate from
the focus.
• They move in all directions

from the focus.
• These waves are felt as the
shaking of the ground,
depending on the strength.
• These are recorded using
seismographs.
Faults and Plates
• Faults are cracks or fracture
on the earth’s crust where the
two rocks on each side slide
past each other.
• The sliding action builds up
tension which is released
when the rocks break, causing
earthquakes.
• Plates are pieces of Earth’s
crust and upper mantle that
are divided into several
pieces.
• These plates move, causing
different kinds of tectonic
events.
Measuring an
Earthquake’s Strength
The measure of the “size”, or
amplitude of the seismic waves
generated by an earthquake and
recorded by seismographs is
called magnitude.
It was developed by American
seismologist Charles F. Richter
because he found out that intensity
scale rating is subjective and can be
severely affected by factors such as
the strength of structures and
population in an area.
It is important to
remember that Richter
scale is a logarithmic
scale. This means that an
increase in a whole
number is a ten-fold
increase of the previous
one.
The PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity
Scale (PEIS), on the other hand, is
like the Mercalli’s scale. It focuses on
the intensity of the earthquake as felt
by the people or observed in the
environment as the earth shakes.
This was developed in response to the
1990 Luzon quake which took a lot of
lives and coasted millions of peso
damage. It was adopted in the year
1996, replacing the previously used
Rossi-Forel intensity scale.

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Grade 10 !

Teacher: Ms. Lyndly V. Tanquerido

2.How many of these volcanoes are

3.What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?

• In most case, the epicenter receives

• The focus is the point deep

• This is caused by the sudden

• They move in all directions

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