NH-Tectonic Hazards Flashcards
Tectonic Hazards
What causes earthquakes?
Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust due to the movement of tectonic plates. This energy release creates seismic waves that cause the ground to shake.
What are the primary effects of an earthquake?
Primary effects include ground shaking, building collapse, infrastructure damage, and immediate loss of life and injury.
What are the secondary effects of an earthquake?
Secondary effects include fires, landslides, tsunamis, disease outbreaks, and long-term economic impacts.
What are the primary effects of a volcanic eruption?
Primary effects include lava flows, ash clouds, and the release of gases like sulfur dioxide
What causes volcanic eruptions?
Volcanic eruptions are caused by the movement of magma from within the Earth to the surface. This can occur at destructive (convergent) plate boundaries or hot spots.
What are the secondary effects of a volcanic eruption?
Secondary effects include changes to the landscape, climate cooling (due to ash blocking sunlight), and long-term health issues from ash inhalation.
What are the different types of plate boundaries?
Destructive (Convergent) Boundaries: Plates move towards each other, causing subduction and volcanic activity.
Collision Boundaries: Two continental plates collide, creating mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.
Conservative (Transform) Boundaries: Plates slide past each other, causing friction and earthquakes.
Constructive (Divergent) Boundaries: Plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and create new crust, often forming mid-ocean ridges.
All experience earthquakes, conservative has no volcanoes.
Explain the process of subduction.
Subduction occurs at destructive plate boundaries where an oceanic plate is forced under a continental plate. The oceanic plate melts in the mantle, and the magma can rise to form volcanoes.
How are tsunamis created?
Tsunamis are typically created by undersea earthquakes that displace a large volume of water. They can also be caused by volcanic eruptions and landslides.
What factors affect the impact of tectonic hazards?
Location: Proximity to the tectonic event.
Magnitude: The size and energy of the event.
Population Density: Number of people in the affected area.
Preparedness: Level of preparedness and response systems in place.
What are the key methods for managing tectonic hazards?
Monitoring and Prediction: Using technology to predict events.
Building Design: Constructing buildings to withstand earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Emergency Planning: Developing and practicing emergency response plans.
Education: Informing the public about risks and safety measures.
What is the Richter scale and how is it used?
The Richter scale is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake. It is a logarithmic scale, meaning each whole number increase represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release.
What is the difference between the focus and the epicenter of an earthquake?
The focus is the point within the Earth where the earthquake originates, while the epicenter is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus.
What are the plate movements in Iceland?
Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a constructive (divergent) plate boundary where the North American and Eurasian plates are moving apart. This movement causes volcanic activity and geothermal features.
What are the plate movements in Iceland?
The plate tectonic activity in Iceland creates a unique landscape with active volcanoes, geothermal springs, geysers, and extensive lava fields.
