GEOLOGIC HAZARD

By group 1

Geologic hazard is an adverse geologic condition capable of causing property damage or loss
of life. The results of natural, active geologic processes.These geologic processes only become
hazards when humans get in their way.

LANDSLIDE

Rainfall-induced Landslide
A landslide is a massive outward and downward movement of slope- forming materials.
Movements of rocks and soil masses. These masses may range in size up to entire
mountainsides. Their movements may vary in velocity. Initiated when a section of a hill slope or
sloping section of a sea bed is too weak to support its own weight. Landslide is caused by
earthquake or volcanic eruption. Susceptibility of hill slope to landslide is developed as a result
of denudation of mountainsides which removes the trees or ground cover that holds the soil.

TYPES OF LANDSLIDE

Rockfalls - Rockfalls occur when rocks or boulders become detached from a steep slope and fall
or roll down the slope. These types of landslides are often triggered by weathering and erosion
of the rock face, as well as by seismic activity.

Debris Flows - Also known as mudflows, occur when a mixture of soil, rock, and water flows
rapidly down a slope. Often triggered by heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt, which can saturate
the ground.

Creep - A slow and continuous movement of soil or rock down a slope. Often caused by
long-term weathering and erosion of the slope, as well as by changes in soil moisture and
temperature.

Slumps - Occur when a block of soil or rock rotates and slides down a curved slope. Often
triggered by the type of soil or rock and the slope angle.

Causes of Landslide
Natural causes of landslides include:
● Groundwater (pore water) pressure acting to destabilize the slope
● Loss or absence of vertical vegetative structure, soil nutrients, and soil structure (e.g.
after a wildfire)
● Erosion of the top of a slope by rivers or ocean waves
● Weakening of a slope through saturation by snow melt, glaciers melting. or heavy rains
 ● Earthquakes adding loads to barely stable slope
● Earthquake-caused liquefaction destabilizing slopes
● Volcanic eruptions

Landslides are also aggravated by human activities, such as:

● Deforestation, cultivation and construction, which destabilize the already fragile slopes.
● Vibrations from machinery or traffic
● Blasting (e.g. as miners normally do)
● Earthwork which alters the shape of a slope
● In shallow soils, the removal of deep-rooted vegetation
● Construction works, agricultural or forestry activities (e. g. logging) which change the
amount of water infiltrating the soil.

Effects of Landslides
Landslides cause property damage, injury and death and adversely affect a variety of resources.
For example, water supplies, fisheries, sewage disposal systems, forests, dams and roadways
can be affected for years after a slide event.
The negative economic effects of landslides include the cost to repair structures, loss of
property value, disruption of transportation routes, medical costs in the event of injury, and
indirect costs.

SIGNS OF IMPENDING LANDSLIDE

1. Earlier Landslide as an indicator

Observing old landslides is a good indication that the area has unstable geology, and that more
landslides are likely in the future. Multiple landslide events in the same place can be reactivated.
A reactivated landslide is where something changed at an old, semi-stable landslide, triggering
a new failure at the same location.

2. Tension Cracks
Tension cracks are created by the stress of geological material pulling apart. They often mark
the eventual landslide scarp. Tension cracks above an existing landslide can hint at a future
reactivation.

3. Things Moving
Observable movement and deformation of things are also indicators of an impending landslide.
The most common among these is that trees are bending up in a J-curve as a sign that the
ground slips out from under them. Inside structures, signs of slow shifting can be floors tilting.

4. Water Doing Something Different

The sudden arrival of water in a spring or wet ground somewhere that is usually dry indicates
that something changed. Water levels in a creek suddenly dropping can be due to an
obstruction like a landslide-dam that will break and send a debris flow rushing downstream.
 MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN CASE OF LANDSLIDE

What to do before a landslide

1. It's good to secure clearance from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on the status
of possible landslides.
2. Help prepare the members of the family for evacuation upon the direction of proper
authorities
3. Maintain a list of contact numbers during emergencies
4. Participate in planting grasses to cover slopes or in buildin to prevent soil erosion.
5. Participate in regular drills on evacuation procedures
6. Help promote public awareness and involvement on landslide mitigation
7. Help develop family preparedness and evacuation plan.

What to do during a landslide

1. Evacuate immediately if warned of an impending landslide or mudflow.
2. Stay away from the path of landslide debris, or seek refuge behind a sturdy tree or boulder.
3. Get out of the house as soon as possible when rumbling sounds are heard from upstream or
the trembling of the ground is felt, indicating a possible mudflow.
4. Run across a slope, not downwards.

What to do after a landslide

1. Examine thoroughly the damaged parts and utilities of the house before re-occupying it.
2. Stay away from the landslide area. There may be danger of additional landslides.
3. Help check with caution injured and trapped persons within the landslide area and direct
rescuers to their locations.
4. Listen to local radio or television stations for the latest emergency information.

SINKHOLES

Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt
beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by groundwater circulating through them. As the
rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground. If there is not enough support for the
land above the spaces then a sudden collapse of the land surface can occur.

TYPES OF SINKHOLES

Dissolution sinkholes
Dissolution of the limestone or dolomite is most intensive where the water first contacts the rock
surface. Aggressive dissolution also occurs where flow is focused in pre-existing openings in the
rock, such as along joints, fractures, and bedding planes, and in the zone of water-table
fluctuation where groundwater is in contact with the atmosphere.

Cover-subsidence sinkholes
Cover-subsidence sinkholes tend to develop gradually where the covering sediments iare
permeable and contain sand. In areas where cover material is thicker or sediments contain
more clay,. Cover-subsidence sinkholes are relatively uncommon, are smaller, and may go
undetected for long periods.

Cover-collapse sinkholes
They occur where the covering sediments contain a significant amount of clay. Over time,
surface drainage, erosion, and deposition of sinkhole develop into a shallower bowl-shaped
depression.

Causes of Sinkholes

Human-induced:
New sinkholes have been correlated to land-use practices, especially from groundwater
pumping and from construction and development practices. Some sinkholes form when the land
surface is changed, such as when industrial and runoff-storage ponds are created. The weight
of the new material can trigger a sinkhole.

Natural cause:
Water washes away the soil and residue from the voids in the rock. Lowering of groundwater
levels can cause a loss of support for the soft material in the rock spaces that can lead to
collapse.

SIGNS OF IMPENDING SINKHOLE

● Trees or fence posts that tilt or fall

● Foundations that slant
● New small ponds that appear after rain
● Cracks in the ground
● Sudden drainage of a pond
● Rapid appearance of a hole in the ground
● Dips, depressions, slopes that appear in a yard
● Dead patches of grass or plants
● Wilted vegetation in a limited area
● Well water that is discolored or contaminated with debris
● Cracking or buckling of home's concrete slab
● Presence of odd bugs like slugs and centipedes in the home
● Earthy odor in home after rain
● New or widening cracks
● Separation between walls and ceiling or floors
 ● Uneven floors

Precautionary Measures
1. Watch for signs of water disappearing from the surface (for example, the sudden loss of a
steam or retention pond)
2. If a sinkhole occurs in an area of traffic, barricade it to prevent motorists or pedestrians from
getting too close to it.
3. Check fields before undertaking machine-related activities, such as haying or harvesting
4. Keep tractors and heavy machinery far enough away from the sinkhole, since the ground
near the edge can easily give way.
5. Sinkholes will be more prevalent during times of increased and rapid rainfall, such as with the
type of rains occurring during a hurricane.
6. Call emergency hotlines and advise them of the sinkhole and of the hole which is near utility
lines or in a roadway.
7. Restrict access to the hole.
8. Don't get too close to or go down into the hole.
9. Do not allow unauthorized or inexperienced persons to investigate the sinkhole.

MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN CASE OF LANDSLIDE

Before
● Listen to the radio or media to be aware of the forming sinkholes around the said area
and follow the given instructions.

During
● Run the other way going to a stable ground.
● Do not try to retrieve your belongings in the area of the forming sinkhole.
● Stay on the stable ground and wait for the officials' instructions.

After
● Do not go close to the sinkhole.
● Be aware of the cracks on the ground you are walking. The sinkhole might still be
forming slowly.
● When passing by a sinkhole, do not throw any trash for it may contaminate the
groundwater.
● Secure your belongings and evacuate to safe grounds.