Explaining “liquefaction”

CHEERS TO ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol for an informative report on liquefaction— one of the hazards that could result from a strong earthquake.

Liquefaction, according to the report, is a phenomenon in which the soil softens during an earthquake, which can lead to flooding and severe damage among infrastructure.

In May this year, the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Institute of Volca

nology and Seismology released an earthquake hazard map of the valley fault system in the Greater Manila Area in preparation for a 7.2 intensity earthquake that may hit the National Capital Region.

The possibility of a strong earthquake created panic among citizens. Schools and several establishments above the fault were identified, while the Department of Interior and Local Government and other government agencies began looking into what can be done to prepare for such an eventuality.

The two-minute news story, which aired June 3, explained how liquefaction happens. The report said that places near bodies of water are prone to the phenomenon. It noted that almost all of the areas in Metro Manila may experience liquefaction, especially the municipalities of Malabon, Marikina, Manila, Pasig, Pateros and Taguig.

The report also recalled several earthquakes in the past, especially the 1990 Luzon earthquake which caused liquefaction in Dagupan City, Pangasinan province.