flashcards
where is the ring of fire located
Made up of more than 450 volcanoes, the Ring of Fire stretches for nearly 40,250 kilometers (25,000 miles), running in the shape of a horseshoe (as opposed to an actual ring) from the southern tip of South America, along the west coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, down through Japan, and into New Zealand
what is the Richter Scale/Mercalli Scale
Richter-is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter
The Mercalli intensity scale (or more precisely the Modified Mercalli intensity scale) is a scale to measure the intensity of earthquakes. Unlike with the Richter scale, the Mercalli scale does not take into account energy of an earthquake directly.
pyroclastic flow
is a usually fast moving flow of a mixture of solidified lava, ashes and hot gases
what is an active volcano
an active volcano has either recently erupted or is going to in the future
what is a dormant volcano
is a volcano that has not erupted in a long time but may in the near future
what is an extinct volcano
this is when a volcano will not erupt in the future
what is a destructive plate boundary
This occurs when oceanic and continental plates move together. The oceanic plate is forced under the lighter continental plate. Friction causes melting of the oceanic plate and may trigger earthquakes.
what is a constructive plate boundary
occurs when plates move apart. Volcanoes are formed as magma wells up to fill the gap, and eventually new crust is formed. An example of a constructive plate boundary is the mid-Atlantic Ridge.
what is an conservation plate boundary
this occurs when 2 plates rub against each other either in the same or a different direction at different speeds causing friction between them
the Mariana Trench where?
Located in the western Pacific east of the Philippines
the Mariana Trench continued what?/depth?
the Mariana trench is that believed deepest point in the ocean at 36,201 feet. it was formed by a process called subduction.
what is an epicentre/focus?
The point inside the crust where the pressure is released is called the focus . The point on the Earth’s surface above the focus is called the epicentre . Earthquake energy is released in seismic waves. These waves spread out from the focus.
what is the plate tectonic theory?
The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust, the lithosphere, is separated into plates that move over the asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle.
why do people live near volcanoes?
people live near to volcanos because:
they are able to use geothermal energy to use steam to produce energy.
people want to not only visit the volcano itself but also possible its hot springs which provides jobs.
volcanic rock and ash produces very fertile soil which can increase the harvest of a local farmer.
