HASS Flashcards
What is a landscape?
A landscape is a part of the Earth’s surface. It consists of a variety of geographical features that are characteristic of an area.
What are the 6 landscapes?
Mountainous, Riverine, Desert, Karst, Human, Coastal
What is a landform?
A landform is a shape or physical feature on the Earth’s surface that a natural process has produced.
With tectonic plates, what does converging and diverging mean and what do they do?
Converging means pushing inwards and it creates mountain ranges. Diverging means pulling away and it creates volcanic eruptions by allowing magma to oose out of the crust
How are mountains formed?
Mountains are formed when the Earth’s surface pushes upwards.
What are fold mountains?
They are mountains that form when tectonic plates converge and layers of rock buckle and push upwards.
What are block mountains?
They are mountains that form when cracks in the Earth’s crust (faults) force blocks of land upwards.
What are volcanic mountains?
They are mountains that form when magma pushes its way from beneath the Earth to the crust.
How do volcanoes form?
Volcanoes form when magma pushes through an opening in the Earth’s crust.
How do earthquakes occur?
Earthquakes are caused when the edges of the tectonic plates push and grind against each other.
What are the 4 types of landslides?
Soil creep, slumping, mudslides (lahars), avalanches
What is a soil creep?
- Gradual movement of soil, rocks and earth down a gentle slope
What is slumping?
- movement of larger sections of soil and rocks down a steep, curved slope
- triggered by earthquakes, excessive rain or freezing or thawing of the land
What are mudslides?
- triggered by heavy rain, quick thawing earth, earthquakes or volcanic activity
What are avalanches?
- rapid movement of snow down steep mountain slopes
- fastest moving landslide
triggered by natural movements (earthquakes + weather) or human movements (skiing)
What are tsunamis?
Tsunamis are created when:
- created when natural events move a huge amount of water in a short period of time
- caused when the sea floor moves upwards during an earthquake
What are the 4 significances?
Aesthetic, cultural, economic, spiritual
What is a natural hazard?
A natural hazard is a known feature of an area that may cause loss of life, injury and/or property damage.
What is a Natural disaster?
A natural disaster is the occurrence of an expected natural event that adversely affects the environment and people in the area.
What is a geomorphic hazard?
Geomorphological hazards, such as floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis are natural disasters causing significant damage to landform stability and causing devastating effects on the area and its inhabitants.
What is a landslide?
A landslide is the movement of rock, debris or earth down a slope. They result from the failure of the materials which make up the hill slope and are driven by the force of gravity. Landslides are known also as landslips, slumps or slope failures.
What is an earthquake?
A hazard that can:
- shake the ground
- buildings and other structures collapse
- crush people to death
- cause tsunamis
What causes a sinkhole?
When stuff immediately below the surface shifts to somewhere else.