TECTONIC HAZARDS
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99 Terms
How many layers does the Earth have?
Four
What are earths layers?
inner core, outer core, mantle, crust
What is the inner core?
A very dense, hot solid at the very centre of the Earth
How hot is the inner core?
5500 degrees celsius
What is the inner core made of?
iron and nickel
What is the outer core?
A liquid that surrounds the inner core
How thick is the outer core?
2000 km
What is the outer core made of?
iron and nickel
What is the mantle?
Semi molten rock moving beneath the earths crust
How thick is the mantle?
3000 km
What happens when the mantle is closer to the core?
The mantle is more liquid
What is the crust?
the rocky outer layer of the earth
What is the crust made of?
oceanic and continental crust
How thick is the crust?
5-70 km
If the Earth was scaled down to the side of an apple, how thick would the crust be?
As thick as the apple skin
What is a tectonic plate?
Huge plates that make up the earth crust
Are tectonic plates oceanic, continental and both?
Both
What do oceanic plates do?
They carry the oceans
What do continental plates do?
They carry the land
Which is thicker, oceanic or continental plates?
Continental plates
What is thinner, oceanic or continental plates?
Oceanic plates
Which is denser, oceanic or continental plates?
Oceanic plates
Which is less dense, oceanic or continental plates?
Continental plates
How do the tectonic plates move?
convection currents
What are convection currents?
currents in the mantle that cause tectonic plates to move
What are convection currents caused by?
Extreme heat from the earths core
What forms convection currents in the mantle?
Heat from the core
What do the convection currents do?
Slowly move the crust around
What happens to the crust in some places?
The crust can be destroyed and in other places new crust is formed
What is a plate boundary?
Where 2 or more plates meet
Where do the plates move?
In different directions
How many types of plate boundaries are there?
Three
What are the different kinds of plate boundaries?
destructive, constructive and conservative
How are plate boundary types decided?
From how the plates move at this boundary
What do different plate boundaries form?
Different landforms
Examples of a landform?
volcanoes or fold mountains
What is a destructive plate boundary?
A plate boundary where two plates are colliding and subduct under each other
How do destructive plates move?
The plates either collide or the oceanic plate subducts under the continental plate
What is an example of the destructive plate boundary?
The Nazca plate being forced under the South American plate
What landforms/hazards are formed by destructive plate boundaries?
volcanoes, fold mountains, earthquakes
What is a constructive plate boundary?
A plate boundary where two plates are moving apart
How do the constructive plate boundaries move?
The plates move apart
What is an example of a constructive plate boundary?
The African plate and the South American plate
What landforms/hazards are formed by constructive plate boundaries?
volcanoes, earthquakes
What is a conservative plate boundary?
A plate boundary where two plates slide past one another
How do conservative plate boundaries move?
The plates move alongside each other
What is an example of a conservative plate boundary?
The Pacific plate and the North American plate
What landforms/hazards are formed in a conservative boundary?
earthquakes
What is magma?
molten rock from the mantle before it reaches the surface of the earth
What is lava?
molten rock released from the earths core by a volcano
What is a fold mountain?
Mountains formed at collision zones
What is a volcano?
A vent in the earths crust crust from which lava, ash and gas is released
What is an earthquake?
A sudden shaking of the ground, caused by movement in the earths crust
Where can earthquakes happen?
At any plate boundary
How does an earthquake occur?
Plates do not always move smoothly alongside each other, sometimes getting stuck, when this happens pressure builds up and is released, causing an earthquake
What does every earthquake have?
An epicentre and a focus
What is a focus?
The point in the earth's crust where pressure between two plates is released
Where is the focus?
Underground
What is an epicentre?
The point on the Earth's surface straight above the focus.
Can scientists predict an earthquake in the long term?
Yes, over years and decades
Can scientists predict an earthquake in the short term?
No
How can scientists monitor tectonic activity?
studying earthquake history, an increase in minor earthquakes and some say a higher level of radon gas
How many earthquakes do scientists record each year?
Over 20,000
How large are most earthquakes?
Very small, not noticed by most people
What are the two scales of measuring earthquakes?
Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale
What is the Richter Scale?
a scale used to measure the strength of earthquakes using the strength of vibrations between 1-10
What is the Mercalli Scale?
A scale that measures the damage of earthquakes from 1-12
What is the issue with the Mercalli Scale?
It is subjective and varies according to where you are
What is a seismometer?
A machine which detects and records vibrations in the Earths crust
What is infrastructure?
Basic facilities in an area, such as electricity, running water, roads and buildings like hospitals
What is aid?
Money or resources given to a country by another country or organisation
What is PPP?
prediction, preparation, protection
What is prediction?
Attempting to know when an earthquake will happen
Examples of earthquake prediction?
Measuring vibrations in the crust or studying previous major earthquakes
What is preparation?
Creating and communicating a plan to deal with a possible earthquake
Examples of earthquake preparation?
Creating an exclusion zone and making sure people have access to supplies
What is earthquake protection?
Trying to reduce the damage people suffer during an earthquake?
Examples of earthquake protection?
Building houses in safe areas
What are economic impacts?
Anything to do with money or which affects the ability of people or a country to make money
What are environmental impacts?
Anything which affects animals, plants, ecology
What are social impacts?
Anything which affects peoples and families
What are the short term economic impacts of earthquakes?
Shops and businesses' might be destroyed, looting may take place
What are the long term economic impacts of earthquakes?
The expense of rebuilding can lead to lost income
What are the short term environmental impacts of earthquakes?
The landscape may be destroyed because of fires or landslides and tsunamis may cause flooding
What are the long term environmental impacts of earthquakes?
Important natural and human landmarks may be lost
What are the short term social impacts of earthquakes?
People may be injured or killed, homes destroyed, infrastructure disrupted and people may be deprived of food and water
What are the long term social impacts of earthquakes?
Disease may spread and people may have to be rehoused
How can people reduce the impacts of tectonic hazards?
By making earthquake proof buildings, spreading awareness by warnings and education and implementing research technology
How can you earthquake proof a building?
By using rubber shock absorbers, steel frames that can sway and safety glass
What was the date of the Japan earthquake?
11th March 2011
What was the date of the Haiti earthquake?
12th January 2010
What was the magnitude of the Haiti earthquake?
7.0 magnitude
What magnitude was the Japan earthquake?
9.0 magnitude
How many people died in the Haiti earthquake?
220,000 people
How many were injured Haiti earthquake?
300,000 people
How many people died in the Japan earthquake?
18,500 people
How many people were injured in the Japan earthquake?
20,000
What plates and plate margins were involved in the Haiti earthquake?
North American and Caribbean with a conservative plate margin
What plates and plate margins were involved in the Japan earthquake?
North American and Eurasian with a destructive plate margin
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