University of Southern Mindanao

Senior High School

Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

1999 CHERRY HILLS SUBDIVISION 2006 SOUTHERN LEYTE MUDSLIDE

LANDSLIDE
DATE & On or about 8:00 pm. on August 02, 1999, a A massive landslide devastated the
LOCATION landslide occurred on a slope where Cherry community of Barangay Guinsaugon,
Hills Subdivision is located, in barangay San Municipality of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte
Luis, Antipolo City. Province, Philippines, at about 10:30 local
time on 17 February The landslide occurred
along the steep fault scarp of the Philippine
Fault Zone (PFZ) a large and active tectonic
structure that traverses the entire length of
the Philippines [Allen, 1962]. Barangay
Guinsaugon is located at the foot of the
scarp, directly in the path of the downward
moving mass of earth.

Cherry Hills subdivision was home to hundreds

of families paying-off low cost, concrete
houses. The subdivision was owned and
developed by Tirso Santillan, president of
Philjas Corporation. The subdivision was
situated in an elevated terrain cut along the
perches of the Sierra Madre mountains.

Besides its location on the mountain cuts,

Cherry Hill was flanked by two subdivision on
its either sides.The eastern summit is at
elevation of 255 meters while the western side
is at elevation of 233 meters. The subdivision
cut from the mountain side is approximately 26
meters at its deepest

The subdivision encompasses five hectares with

paved roads. The subdivision consisted of light-
roofed one or two-storey houses with hollow
block wall construction that are either single-
detached or row houses.
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

CAUSES University of the Philippines geologists who looked Logging and mining done in the area three
into the disaster argued that while heavy rains may decades ago was the main culprit. It created a
have set off the landslide, certain geological traits of "dangerous combination" that produced a
the area where the subdivision stood made it "classic landslide scenario".
vulnerable. Structural interventions could have
averted the disaster, but that would have made the However, local government officials and
cost of the project prohibitive for the low-income eyewitnesses claimed anecdotally that the area
sector. Rainfall measurements three days prior to was "well forested" and the governor's office said
the landslide were equivalent to 120 days of normal that deforestation from mining and logging
rainfall in a rainy season, according to a report of a activities were not the causal factor, although no
fact-finding committee. Actual rainfall recorded scientific evidence was presented to back the
during that period totaled 523.3 millimeters. The claims. The governor’s office did not explain why
normal amount of rainfall for the entire month of the soil was so unstable at the time of the slide,
August, based on a 35-year record in the weather after millennia of stability.
bureau’s Quezon City observation station, was
517.3 millimeters. Experts did agree that torrential rains lasting two
weeks before the mudslide were the tipping
The Cherry Hills landslide in Rizal is attributed to point that precipitated the disaster. Rainfall
many compounding factors. These are: amounting to nearly 1,200 millimetres (47 in)
over the period of 4–14 February loosened the
1) the effects of 3 consecutive days of continuous soil so much that the resulting sludge and rocks
rainfall (Aurelio, 2004) that led to water saturation thundered down the slopes of nearby Mount
and buildup of pore pressure on the slide surface; Can-abag, virtually disintegrating it. The La Niña
2) strength degradation of the sedimentary layers weather phenomenon was blamed for the non-
underlying the mountain due to shrinkage cracking stop rains that occurred in the province, as well
and expansion from prolonged water saturation; as in the Caraga region, which is due south of
Leyte. San Francisco, Agusan del Sur mayor Carie
3.) intense fracturing of the rock mass due to its Ladernora declared the state of calamity on her
proximity to the Binangonan Fault; town by February 12, 2006.

4) unfavorable 8° dip angle of the rock layers to the The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
southwest and; Seismology recorded a magnitude 2.6 earthquake
in Southern Leyte just prior to the landslide
5) destablization of slopes due to large cuts made although the effects of this are unclear.
by quarrying operations prior to the development
of the Cherry Hills subdivision. The combined
effects of natural and man-made conditions lead to
instability of the slopes where the subdivision was
built, which was triggered to collapse by continuous
heavy monsoon rains following an El-Niño year.
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

Investigations showed that the area has an average

slope of about twenty per cent (20%) enough to
trigger downslope movements of any unstable
materials, conditions permitting. The nature and
character of the materials were also contributing
factors in this incident as well as human
intervention in the form of developments directly
on the slopes. Results also showed that the
introduction of water (large amount of rains fell
over the area) contributed partly in triggering the
movement of the materials. It was also found out
that as early as four to five months from the time of
the disaster, the area has manifested repeated signs
indicative of ground movements.
EFFECTS As many as 109 people died in the Philippines when The rain-induced landslide carried 1.2 billion
Typhoon Olga provoked torrential rains and cubic meters of mud and boulders, covering 300
flooding throughout much of South East Asia in hectares of the barangay and killing 1,500 people
early August. The areas worst affected were Manila, in minutes.
Pampanga, Rizal and Pangasinan. Over 73,000
people were forced to leave their homes and seek Because of the speed of text messages and the
shelter and food in local halls, schools and clubs. fact that the landslide was seen by those
Some 900 families were evacuated from the town traversing the national highway, response from
of Valenzuela as flood water rose to dangerous the authorities came almost immediately.
heights.
But just 8 days after the disaster struck, the local
The majority of the deaths were concentrated in government called off rescue efforts, as the
one small housing estate—the Cherry Hills drying mud gave little to no chance of survival for
subdivision in Antipolo, a Manila suburb, and home those trapped inside buried structures.
to hundreds of families paying off low-cost,
concrete houses. On August 3 the subdivision By that time, only 137 bodies and 15 body parts
became a death trap when its foundations filled had been recovered. Some 973 remained missing,
with water and the whole complex slid down the hill all presumed dead.
on which it was built.
3272 people were living in 5 registered
Parts of Cherry Hills were buried in a massive evacuation centers in St. Bernard Municipality.
landslide on Aug. 12, 1999, after days of rain. More Residents included village of Guinsaugon and
than 300 homes were buried or destroyed when two neighboring villages who were partially
mud came rushing down. People were trapped in affected by the original landslides and those from
their homes and had to be dug out. Fifty-nine villages in the vicinity that have been
perished. preemptively evacuated.
3850 family (18862 people) have been affected
by the preemptive evacuations in three other
municipalities of Southern Leyte- Sogod, Liluan
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

and San Francisco. Where Geo hazard

assessments had indicated that there were high
levels of risk of additional landslides.

PICTURES
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

BOLIDE IMPACT

CAUSES EFFECTS
Meteor showers occur when the earth in its orbit It may seem like meteors crashing to Earth are rare,
around the Sun passes through debris left over from but more than 48 tons of debris falls into Earth's
the disintegration of comets. Although the earth's atmosphere every single day. Most of this comes in
orbit around the Sun is almost circular, most comets the form of dust and micrometeorites that burn up
travel in orbits that are highly elongated ellipses. As a instantly, but on rare occasions, larger rocks may fall
result, some comets have orbits that intersect or into the planet's gravity well. Depending on the size
partially overlap the earth's path. of the object, an impact can cause a number of
different effects, and a large enough asteroid could
drastically change life on Earth.

A massive asteroid impact would create long-term

changes in the atmosphere and climate of the planet.
Upon impact, vaporized dirt and rock would fill the
atmosphere, blocking sunlight and creating a state of
near-permanent darkness and winter-like conditions.
After the particles in the atmosphere settle, an
increase in greenhouse gases from impact fires and
released stores in the crater area could actually
increase temperatures substantially due to an
increased greenhouse effect. The severity and length
of each of these phases would depend on the size of
Because a comet's nucleus is made up of a the impact, with a one or two kilometer-wide
combination of icy materials and loosely consolidated asteroid causing enough damage to trigger
"dirt," when a comet is heated by passing close to the worldwide disturbances for years.
Sun, it more or less slowly disintegrates, producing the
visible tail. The rocky debris, consisting of mostly sand- Another dangerous effect of an asteroid strike would
size particles, continues in an elongated orbit around be damage to the ozone layer. The energy imparted
the Sun close to that of its parent comet. When the to the atmosphere by the incoming object would be
earth intersects this orbit in its annual trip, it can run enough to disrupt the protective layer of ozone high
into this debris, which burns up on entry into the in the stratosphere, drastically increasing the amount
earth's atmosphere, producing a visible shower of of ultraviolet light that made it to the surface. This
meteors. would increase global cancer rates, affect the growth
of plants and animals and possibly lead to genetic
Image: MIKE COOP, California Meteor Society, NASA mutations over the period of increased exposure.
METEOR SHOWERS.This one, seen from Henry Coe Depending on the size of the asteroid, this could last
State Park, Calif. on November 18, 1995, resulted from for as much as two years.
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

Leonid crossing Earth's path. The major source of danger from space debris is that
Meteor showers associated with particular comet a large asteroid, one at least five kilometers in
orbits occur at about the same time each year, diameter, could cause enough damage to threaten
because it is at those points in the earth's orbit that life on this planet. The Alvarez Hypothesis suggests
the collisions occur. However, because some parts of that the end of the Cretaceous period saw a massive
the comet's path are richer in debris than others, the asteroid impact that changed the climate across the
strength of a meteor shower may vary from one year globe and wiped out the dinosaurs. The Chicxulub
to the next. Typically a meteor shower will be crater on the Yucatan Peninsula offers some evidence
strongest when the earth crosses the comet's path for this theory. For this reason, the Near-Earth Object
shortly after the parent comet has passed. program at NASA attempts to identify and catalog
large asteroids so that astronomers can identify
those whose orbits pose a threat to the planet.
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

COASTAL EROSION

CAUSES EFFECTS
 Input of coastal defences along the coast  Could have an affect on places further down
the coastline, because of longshore drift and
 Removal of sediment offshore - in 2000, build up of material
3811044 tones was dredged illegally offshore.
 Sediment is taken away which means that
 Housing development there is less sediment on the beach to protect
 Cliff is made up soft glacial material the coastline against the waves.

 Waves have a long fetch  Can make the soil/rock weaker which makes it
more vulnerable to erosion.
 The beaches are narrow
 The material is easily eroded by the waves
There are many factors for cause of Coastal Erosion which means that the cliff is quickly eroded
like natural cause, Physical Causes and Human causes. and the waves are more effective

Waves: Waves are the main cause of coastal erosion.  The waves can build up a lot of energy
waves striking a cliff face compress air in cracks on because of the fetch
the cliff face. This exerts pressure on the surrounding  There is less sediment to protect the coastline
rock, and can progressively splinter and remove
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

pieces. Over time, the cracks can grow, sometimes On non-rocky coasts, coastal erosion results in rock
forming a cave. The splinters fall to the sea bed where formations in areas where the coastline contains rock
they are subjected to further wave action. The higher layers or fracture zones with varying resistance to
the wave energy, the higher the rate of erosion (all erosion. Softer areas become eroded much faster
other things being equal). Wave energy is the result than harder ones, which typically result in landforms
of three factors: the speed of the wind blowing over such as tunnels, bridges, columns, and pillars. Over
the surface of the sea, the length of fetch (i.e., the time the coast generally evens out. The softer areas
distance of sea over which the wind has been fill up with sediment eroded from hard areas, and
blowing) and the length of time that the wind has rock formations are eroded away. Also abrasion
been blowing for. Corrasion or otherwise known as commonly happens in areas where there are strong
abrasion occurs when waves break on cliff faces and winds, loose sand, and soft rocks. The blowing of
slowly erode it. As the sea pounds cliff faces it also millions of sharp sand grains creates a sandblasting
uses the scree from other wave actions to batter and effect. This effect helps to erode, smooth and polish
break off pieces of rock from higher up the cliff face rocks. The definition of abrasion is grinding and
which can be used for this same wave action and wearing away of rock surfaces through the
attrition. Transport gradient: One cause of natural mechanical action of other rock or sand particles.
coastal erosion is an increasing gradient in transport
rate in the direction of the net transport. This can be A place where erosion of a cliffed coast has occurred
due to gradients in the wave conditions at certain is at Wamberal in the Central Coast region of New
stretches, a curved coastline, or special bathymetric South Wales where houses built on top of the cliffs
conditions. began to collapse into the sea. This is due to waves
causing erosion of the primarily sedimentary material
Loss of sand: the loss of sand inland due to breaching on which the buildings foundations sit.
and over-wash of a barrier island and wind transport.
Offshore loss during extreme wave and storm surge Dunwich, the capital of the English medieval wool
conditions. The high waves cause the bars to move trade, disappeared over the period of a few centuries
seawards and the high storm surges also cause an due to redistribution of sediment by waves. Human
offshore movement of sand due to non-equilibrium in interference can also increase coastal erosion:
the profile during the high surge. The loss of sand to Hallsands in Devon, England, was a coastal village that
an accumulative beach at the tip of a sand spit and washed away over the course of a year, an event
into deep water at the leeward of the tip of a sand directly caused by dredging of shingle in the bay in
spit at the termination point of a littoral cell. front of it.

Geomorphology: The geomorphology of the coastline The California coast, which has soft cliffs of
will also affect the rate of erosion. Geomorphology is sedimentary rock and is heavily populated, regularly
defined as the science of landforms with an emphasis has incidents of housing damage as cliffs erodes .
on their origin, evolution, form, and distribution Devil's Slide, Santa Barbara, the coast just north of
across the physical landscape. Geomorphologists seek Ensenada, and Malibu are regularly affected.
to understand why landscapes look the way they do,
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

to understand landform history and dynamics and to The Holderness coastline on the east coast of
predict changes through a combination of field England, just north of the Humber Estuary, is one of
observations, physical experiments and numerical the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe due to its soft
modeling. Geomorphologists work within disciplines clay cliffs and powerful waves. Groynes and other
such as physical geography, geology, geodesy, artificial measures to keep it under control has only
engineering geology, archaeology and geotechnical accelerated the process further down the coast,
engineering. This broad base of interests contributes because longshore drift starves the beaches of sand,
to many research styles and interests within the field. leaving them more exposed. The White Cliffs of Dover
An understanding of geomorphology and its have also been affected.
processes is therefore essential to the understanding
of physical geography. A wider beach will cause more Fort Ricasoli, a historic 17th century fortress in Malta
wave energy to be lost due to friction before the is being threatened by coastal erosion, as it was built
waves can break. Shingle and pebbles will allow more on a fault in the headland which is prone to erosion. A
water to infiltrate and cause more wave energy to be small part of one of the bastion walls has already
lost due to friction, while sandy beaches allow less collapsed since the land under it has eroded, and
infiltration and cause less friction and so allow for a there are cracks in other walls as well.
higher rate of erosion.
In El Campello, Spain, the erosion and failure of a
Protuding areas: The loss of material from a Roman farm fish excavated on rock during the first
protruding area to one or two sides is a natural cause century B.C. was exacerbated by the construction of a
of coastal erosion. This typically happens at close sport harbor.
till/sandstone headlands and at the tip of deltas,
which do not receive sufficient material from the river
due to natural shifting of the river alignment.

Geology: The geology of the coastline will also affect

the rate of erosion. If the different rock types run
parallel to the coastline (concordant), the sea will only
be able to break through more resistant rocks in a few
places. Often a gradient in the (natural) occurring
longshore sediment transports is the reason of
structural erosion.
 University of Southern Mindanao
Senior High School
Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

ASSIGNMENT
Name: Gwyneth Koleen Lopez Grade/Section: 12-STEM-B

REFERENCES:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_erosion

https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-effects-of-coastal-erosion-on-shoreline-features.html

http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/impacts.html

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-causes-a-meteor-show/

http://www.ehso.com/climatechange/climatechangecauses-meteorites.php

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0012821X8790046X

https://education.seattlepi.com/long-term-effects-asteroid-impact-earth-4601.html

https://prezi.com/s_at2os-4r5g/cherry-hills-subdivisionhyatt-hotel-earthquake/

https://www.adrc.asia/countryreport/PHL/PHLeng99/Philippines99.htm

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Aftermath-of-the-1999-Cherry-Hills-Subdivision-Landslide-in-hilly-sub-
urban-Metro-Manila_fig1_242396979

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253901619_Causes_of_the_17_February_2006_Southern_Leyte_L
andslide

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/50766-guinsaugon-landslide

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/1999_Cherry_Hills_subdivision_landslide

https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/84026-2006-guinsaugon-landslide-lessons

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/212440-list-deadly-landslides-philippines

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264319597_Scientists_investigate_recent_Philippine_landslide

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Southern_Leyte_mudslide