Active and

Inactive Faults
Grade 8 Earth and Space Science
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1 differentiate active and inactive faults;

2 locate active faults in the Philippines; and

examine the locations of the different fault systems

3 in the Philippines
ENGAGE
 TRUE or FALSE: Read each statement carefully. Select TRUE if the
statement is correct and select FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

Philippines is prone to earthquakes and

1 1 tsunamis because its location is near the
equator.
 TRUE or FALSE: Read each statement carefully. Select TRUE if the
statement is correct and select FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

A Fault is a break in the earth’s crust caused by

2 1 changes in the weather.
 TRUE or FALSE: Read each statement carefully. Select TRUE if the
statement is correct and select FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

3 1 Earthquakes cannot be predicted.

 TRUE or FALSE: Read each statement carefully. Select TRUE if the
statement is correct and select FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

4 1 Earthquakes are caused when rock underground

suddenly breaks along a fault.
 TRUE or FALSE: Read each statement carefully. Select TRUE if the
statement is correct and select FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

5 1 Seismograph is an instrument used by scientists

to determine the time, location, and magnitude
of an earthquake.
ENGAGE

What are the faults in the Philippines?

The Philippine Fault Zone is found
to be the spot of great
earthquakes based on the
analysis of seismic historic data
and recent seismic events in the
region.
The identified fault lines are not the only fault lines existing in the
country. Even though there are numerous faults in the crust, not
all faults that the geologists have identified can cause
earthquakes. In fact, majority of them will not cause earthquakes.
Active Faults
• They are known to have recently
generated earthquakes within
last 10,000 years.
• They may continue to generate
earthquakes.
Inactive Faults
• They have not moved to
produce earthquake in the last
10, 000 years.
• They do not show signs of ever
having generated an
earthquake.
 Philippine Fault System
EXPLORE
Identify the areas in the
country where active
faults systems are found.
Interactive
EXPLAIN
 1. Based on your location
EXPLAIN at home, which fault line
along the Philippine fault
zone (PFZ) is near you?

Interactive
 2. From the activity, can

EXPLAIN
you tell which among the
fault lines would result to
the most devastating
effect in the city?

Interactive
EXPLAIN
- Valley fault system, because I noticed
that it’s all on the news lately. People
residing in Metro manila have been warned
and reminded to be alert and to prepare
for the Big One.

Interactive
ELABORATE
Are you familiar with the
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
(BNPP)?

This facility was built in response to

the 1973 oil crisis in the Middle East.
The Philippine President Ferdinand
Marcos made the decision to build a
nuclear power plant to meet the
country's energy demands.
ELABORATE
However, after the construction was completed, it
never achieved its goal of generating electricity.
During that time, the construction of the BNPP was
surrounded by controversy. Among the issues raised
was that it was built near a major geological fault line
and close to the then dormant Mount Pinatubo. On
the other hand, the geologist, Kelvin Rodolfo claimed
there was a “sharp lineament in Lubao” in 1997, the
Lubao fault in Pampanga, running through Natib
volcano and the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was
reason enough to stop the plan to re-energize the
power plant.
ELABORATE
Currently, Philippine energy needs is rising and
there are talks on the possibility to revive the
BNPP because it could provide cheaper
electricity to consumers. Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) conducted
studies and they have claimed that the fault
beneath the BNPP is not active.
 ELABORATE
The next big earthquake could hit Manila within
our lifetimes. Given the current condition, in 2015,
PHIVOLCS released the Valley Fault System Atlas,
a guide to help for this eventuality. The atlas is a
collection of detailed large-scale maps that
illustrates the areas that are traversed by the
Valley Fault System (VFS).
 ELABORATE
This tool can be accessed and used by anybody.
Land developers use this tool to check if their
projects are near danger zones. It can be
downloaded from the website of DOST-PHIVOLCS,
for easier access you may visit
https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/
 ELABORATE
The Atlas will play a critical role in earthquake-
preparedness plans. As the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
Executive Director Undersecretary Alexander
Pama said

“A disaster can only be a disaster if we are

not prepared for it,”
ELABORATE
Try to reflect on her statement.
EVALUATE
Identification: Identify what fault is being described on each item.
You may choose your answer from the given choices below:

Lubao Fault West Valaley Fault East Valley Fault

1
Philippine Fault system Mati Fault Digdig Fault

A segment of valley faultline that runs through

1 different cities and towns of Bulacan, Rizal,
Metro Manila, Cavite and Laguna.
Identification: Identify what fault is being described on each item.
You may choose your answer from the given choices below:

Lubao Fault West Valaley Fault East Valley Fault

1
Philippine Fault system Mati Fault Digdig Fault

The movement of this fault in Ifugao caused the

2 1990 Luzon earthquake.
Identification: Identify what fault is being described on each item.
You may choose your answer from the given choices below:

Lubao Fault West Valaley Fault East Valley Fault

1
Philippine Fault system Mati Fault Digdig Fault

It is a major interrelated system of faults

3 throughout the whole Philippine archipelago.
Identification: Identify what fault is being described on each item.
You may choose your answer from the given choices below:

Lubao Fault West Valaley Fault East Valley Fault

1
Philippine Fault system Mati Fault Digdig Fault

An active Faultline in Pampanga that might put

4 BNPP at risk if allowed to operate.
Identification: Identify what fault is being described on each item.
You may choose your answer from the given choices below:

Lubao Fault West Valaley Fault East Valley Fault

1
Philippine Fault system Mati Fault Digdig Fault

An active fault line found in Davao Oriental

5 province, and in Compostela Valley province.