Earthquake Mechanics, Plate Boundaries, and Soil Weathering

Earthquake

Triggered by a sudden slide on a fault.

Tectonic plate boundary

Where the earthquake originates.

Hypocenter

The location within the earth where the earthquake started.

Epicenter

The area of the earth's surface that is directly above the focus.

Magnitude

Corresponding to the energy of an earthquake.

Seismograph

A recorder instrument that is used to calculate the movements of an earthquake.

Intensity

It refers to the strength of an earthquake as per people's experience.

Confining stress

A stress caused by the weight of all the surrounding rock.

Compression

A stress binds rocks together.

Tension

The most common kind of stress seen at divergent plate borders.

Shear

Stress that occurs in the opposite direction when forces move or slide past each other.

Tectonic earthquakes

Along fault lines and plate boundaries, it is caused by rapid movements.

Volcanic earthquake

Type of earthquake that involves rising lava or magma beneath active volcanoes.

Divergent boundary

When two tectonic plates move apart from each other, they form a diverging border.

Convergent boundary

Two tectonic plates collide, a convergent boundary occurs.

Transform plate boundary

Made of two plates sliding past one another.

Continental rifting

A process of rifting the continents apart.

Hazard and Risk

A potentially hazardous natural event.

Aftershocks

In the days following an earthquake experienced.

Liquefaction

Quicksand may occur as most soils contain water, and when the ground shakes, this water can separate, resulting in solid ground.

Tsunamis

Occur when an earthquake happens at sea and causes a big wave to form.

Normal Faults

The hanging wall recedes in relation to the footwall and can be encountered in normal faults. Tension pulls the crust apart, causing normal faults.

Reverse faults

A type of fault that is frequently seen at convergent boundaries. When the hanging wall slides higher, reverse faults form.

Strike-Slip Faults

A dip-slip fault with a vertical dip in the fault plane.

Mechanical Weathering

Breaks down rock into small particles. The rock shattered without causing structural damage.

Ice Wedging

Common when water travels above and below its freezing point.

Chemical Weathering

Causes the minerals in the rock to change their chemical composition.

No Longer Stable

The majority of minerals develop deep within the Earth's crust.

Hydrolysis

Refers to the chemical reaction that occurs when a substance reacts with water.

Carbon Dioxide

As raindrops fall through the air, carbon dioxide (CO2) interacts with water.

Carbonic acid

Common, weak acid found in nature, as this occurs so frequently.

Oxidation

Oxygen interacts rapidly with elements near the Earth's surface.

Water

Some rocks can even dissolve entirely in water. When water is introduced into their structure, other minerals change.

Plants and Animals

Chemical weathering is also caused by plants and animals.

Mechanical Weathering and Chemical Weathering

Mechanical weathering enhances chemical weathering. The surface area of the fragments rises when the rock fractures into smaller pieces.

Climate

Influences chemical weathering.

Igneous rocks

A solid and are more weather resistant.

Sedimentary rocks

Weather more easily.

Soil

The amount of sand, silt, and clay.

Soil Formation

Soil forms at a rate of roughly 1 mm/year under the optimum soil-forming circumstances.

Pedalfer

An essential type of soil that occurs in a deciduous forest.

Pedocal

Soil originates in areas where grasses and bushes are abundant.

Laterite

Develops in tropical environments.

Soil Composition

Soil is composed of half inorganic components derived from nonliving substances.

Organic compounds

From plants and animals are also found in soil.

Soil Texture

Permeable, water draining when the soil has sandy texture or it is silty soil.

Loam

A type of soil that comprises a variety of grain sizes.

Ways to Reduce Soil Erosion

Avoid excessive grazing, avoid cutting down steep hillsides, recover mined areas, use barriers to stop runoff and soil erosion at construction sites, create pavement materials with water-absorbing properties to lessen runoff, limit the usage of off-road vehicles, particularly in locations with hills.