Plate Tectonic Flashcards
What is plate tectonic
It is the Earths crust moving and joining due to the radioactive decay building up heat on the mantle
What was Alfred Wegner theory
The jigsaw fit
What are 3 other pieces of evidence which show that the countries were together
Study of fossils, geological patterns, convection currents and palaeomagnetism
What is the study of fossils.
Similar fossils have been founded on different countries this could not be possible as some animals could not swim across the ocean like the Mesosaurus. This could not of have been possible unless the countries were joined together
What is the study of convection currents
Convection currents drive the movement of Earth’s rigid tectonic plates in the planet’s fluid molten mantle
What are geological patterns
Similar patterns of rock layers on different continents is evidence that mountains were joined together coal was also founded in Antartics which was unusual as it needs a warm climate to form
What is the Jigsaw fit
On a map the countries seem like they were joined together because the sides of some countries seem like it would stick together
What is palaeomagnetism
Magma and volcanos cause the seafloor to spread as lava cools the magnetic iron points north and every 100 million years it switches and the iron points in a different direction
Name 5 plates
Eurasian plate, African plate , South American plate, North American plate , Pacific plate, Indo-Australian plate, Cocos plate,Nazca plate, Juan de fuca plate
What is a divergent boundary
It is when two plates slowly move away an example of this is the Mid Atlantic ridge every year it would move 2cm wider
Convergent boundary
Two plates move towards each other as a result of a convection currents the oceanic plate is more dense then the continental as a result it will sink below this is called subduction. The result of this will cause earthquakes and volcanos.
What is the epicentre
It is the closest point to where the earthquake will be in contact with land
What is the focus
The point where the earthquake happens
What is the Richter scale
The Richter scale is measured by how big the earthquake is it is measured by a seisometer (1small 9big)
What is the Mercalli scale
The Mercalli scale is measured by observations of the resulting damage it goes up by 1 using roman numerals (1 small 12big)
What is a an economic problem which was caused by the Haiti earthquake
Many commercial buildings such as shops, offices,banks and factories were destroyed
What is a primary factor caused by the Haiti earthquake
220,000 people killed 300,000 injured
What is a primary effect of the Montserrat eruption
20 villages and 2/3 of buildings were destroyed because of the lava and fire
What is a positive impact of the Montserrat eruption
Farming is more easy as volcanic ash from the volcano is very fertile and can be used for agriculture also tourism has increased because people want to see the volcano
What is a negative impact of the Montserrat eruption
Younger people have left which left the ageing population this means that the there will be no economic future for Montserrat
What are some hazards from the Montserrat eruption
Lava flows, pyroclastic flows, volcanic ash , voclanic bombs and lahars
How to predict earthquakes
There are many ways to predict earthquakes such as seismographs , GPS device to detect changes to the landscape by as little as 1mm and using rock spiders to collect rock samples
How to be protected against an earthquake
Buildings can be made to counter eartquakes here are some examples, being made into a triangle shape, counter weights ,seismic dampers, shatter proof glass ,reclaimed land ,bracing and strong materials
How to prepare for an earthquake
You can prepare survival kits with items inside to help if an earthquake were to happen you can include food,water,flashlights,batteries,first aid and more . You can also follow specfic steps which is to DROP to the ground - take Cover under a table and HOLD ON to the table by grabbing its leg
What is the stick slip motion
It is when plates rub against another plate (conseravtive plate boundary) but then they get stuck and pressure will build up for many years until the plates break free and cause the plates to flick up which causes an tsunami
Name four biomes
Desert, Tropical Rainforest, Tundra and grasslands
What is the definition of ecosystem
An ecosystem is the study of the living and non living things in an environment where the living things interact between each other and also with the non living environment they are found within.
What are biotic and name at least 3 biotics
The living aspects (which contain energy) such as animals, vegetation, detritivores - millipedes and worms, decomposers bacteria and algae and dead animals and plants
What is abiotic and name at least 3 abiotics
The non livings surroundings such as water,soil,air and climate
The rainforest is home to what percent of the worlds biodiversity
50%
Temperature of Tropical Rainforests
27c to 30c
What is a biosphere
The regions of Earth surface or atmosphere or another planet occupied by living organisms
What is a biome
The definition of a biome is a regional or global land area that is characterized by the plants, animals and climate in that area
What are the similarities between the location of all the rainforests
They all are found around the equator and located by water
List at least 3 animals adaptations
Camouflage,mimicry,limited diet,poisonous,reduction in size,nocturnality and changing of habitats
What items do we use in our lives which are found in the TRF
Bauxite, sugar cane, cocoa, teak,palm oil, coconut oil, rosewood oil and more
Why dont indigenous tribes want the TRF to be destroyed
Because they live using items from the rainforest such as wood and leaves to live in ,animals to eat , plants for medicine and the forest for their religion
What are slash and burn farmers
Slash and Burn’ farming is a type of farming still used by 500million landless farmers in the rainforests around the world. We call them subsistence farmers
- Farmers clear small areas (2 hectares) by
cutting and burning the trees. - The ash from burning adds nutrients to the
soil - The land is farmed for food for 5 years but
after that the soil becomes infertile and the farmers move to a new area.
Who is most responsible for destroying the rainforest
Commercial buisnesses who make a profit from Transnational corporations or governments
Why do people cut down the rainforest
To make a profit to clear of debt or to get enough to get by, to develop their country by making /using resources from the TFR and for the demand of resources
Why does the middle class consume a lot of products from the rainforest
The middle class consumes a lot of products because the middle class population is growing which means that more people would want to consume more products as that product will be in need more often
Why do buisnesses take part in deforestation
TNCs are global companies who have their production and sales departments in many different countries to enable them to:
- Lower production costs (use materials from other countries and have their factories in lower wage locations)
- Increase sales income (to sell to more middle income people in these countries)
What are the impacts on the environment when the rainforest is destroyed
Trees transpire and give off a huge amount of water through transpiration. When trees are cut down the climate becomes drier and hotter
Trees absorb CO2 when they get cut down they release this and wont be able to absorb this gas anymore this means the climate becomes more unpredictable usually warmer and wetter
Global air circulation may change creating climate phenomena such as El Nino which changes air patterns in the Pacific Ocean. This create very dry and hot conditions in Australasia and often destructive forest fires, with many deaths, whilst south America experiences much wetter conditions and serious flooding
Impacts to animals when rainforests are destroyed
A 25-hectare (25 rugby pitches) plot of rainforest in Borneo may contain more than 700 species of trees -double the total in the UK!! This same location may contain 1500 species of plants, more than 5 times the amount than in the UK.They cover 5% of the earth’s surface but contain over 50% of the species of plants and animals in the world.
If the rainforest is destroyed then these animals will die out due to the loss of their habitat ,food and water. This will result in extinction of species
Impacts to medicine when the rainforest is destroyed
About a quarter of all medicines come from the rainforest plants. For example, quinine from the cinchona tree is used to treat malaria, whilst aspirin is a copy of a chemical from a rainforest plant. 70 percent of the plants with anti-cancer properties are native to tropical rainforests.
If the rainforest is cut down this will result in a loss of plants which could be used for medicinal purposes to treat illnesses
What is agroforestry
Trees and crops are planted at the same time , so that the trees roots bind the soil and the leaves protect it from heavy rain
What is green manure
Plants which add nutrients to the soil as they grow are planted to maintain soil fertility
What is crop rotation
Crops are moved between different fields each year with one left empty, so the soil has time to recover
What is sustainable logging
Sustainable logging is cutting down trees in a sustainable way such as cutting trees which are ready (selective logging) , collecting the timber with a helicopter( heli logging), and replanting the trees after you cut a few down (afforestation)
What are National parks
National parks setting up parks and reserves to try and preserve the unique flora and fauna for conservation purposes. All development in the forest is restricted to preserve natural systems in the soil and climate and to protect animals and plants
What is monitoring
These areas are protected by certain laws and regulations and use monitoring through satellite technology and photographs to check all activities are taking place legally and follow the guidelines for sustainability
What is conservation swaps
Peru owe the USA some money. The USA will cancel part of the debt in exchange for Peru using this money for conservation of Peru’s rainforest and species. Non government Organisations (NGOs) like the WWF often help arrange the swaps
What is ecotourism
Ecotourism is tourism that minimises damage to the environment they do this by making sure litter and waste is disposed properly to reduce contamination , it provides income to the locals people and they don’t need to resort to log or farm and they have a stable income from this job
What is the Kilum-Ijim sustainable environment management doing right
They use all sustainable methods such as selective logging, agroforestry, ecotourism and afforestation to minimise damage to the environment whilst also making an income for the community who lives there
List the nutirent cycle
Dead leaves and animals waste fall all year round, decomposers release the nutrients from them, soil is poor due to the nutrients not being able to sink in,the roots quickly take up the nutrients again and then the nutrients help the vegetation grow
List the nutrient cycle after deforestation
No trees means that there will be no leaves to decompose, decomposers will have nothing to consume so they will die or move somewhere else, soil has even less nutrients, no nutrients from soil so tree stumps will take a long time to grow back
How is nuclear power made
Chemical reactions take place and atoms and neutrons collide which cause atoms to split and cause heat
water is passed through the reactor to 300c
A coolant pump then circulates the hot, pressured water from the reactor vessel through the steam generator
hot pressured water flows through the thousands of looped pipes and another flows outside
steam passes through a turbine and energy converts to electric energy
a transformer converts electrical energy to a high voltage needed by the national grid
national grid uses high voltage to transmit electricity efficiently through the power line and to the homes and buisnesses.
After this the steam passes over the pipes full of cold water pumped in from the sea and pumped back in the generator to be reheated
What are the negative impacts of the Chernobyl explosion
Many people around the area had to evacuate due to the extreme amount of radiation (explosion 400 times more radioactive then thr Hiroshima bomb)
many long term health implications such as thyroid cancer and radiation sicknes
Many people had to find someplace else to live and try to make a living as they had to leave their belongings due to it being contaminated
What are the positive impacts of the Chernobyl explosion
Vegetation and wildlife thriving as there are no human civilisation nearby
Where was the Mesosaurus dinosaur found
South America and the Eastern side of Africa
What is a shield volcano
They form on divergent plate boundarys when both plates are being pulled apart creating a tear for magma to leak throuh and cause pressure to build up .This type of volcano have very small explosions and have very small but frequent eartquakes
What is a composite volcano
This volcano appears on convergent plate boundaries . It is created through subduction , this volcano is known to be deadly as well as explosive
What is apiculture
Bee farming / keeping
Benefits from Apiculture
Apiculture provides a jobs for the locals and a stable income and it preserves the bees and allows then to pollinate the environment
What is an invasive species
An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area. Invasive species can cause great economic and environmental harm to the new area.
Example of an invasive species
Grey squirrels ,columbian hippos
What is development
Development is the economic, social and political progress a country or people make. For it to be beneficial it must be sustainable (long term and experienced by many people across society)
How do we measure development
Development is measured using the Human Development Index (HDI) ). HDI is calculated by the United Nations . It measures average life expectancy , level of education and income for each country in the world.
How did the Montserrat volcano erupt
Montserrat is situated on a boundary between the Caribbean plate and the Atlantic plate they converged into each other which caused the soufriere hills to erupt
Where is Haiti located
Haiti lies right on the boundary of the Caribbean and North American plates
