Tectonic Hazards key terms Flashcards
Conservative plate margins
where two tectonic plates slide past each other at different speeds
Constructive plate margins
Tectonic plate margin where rising magma adds new material to plates that are diverging or moving apart.
Destructive plate margins
where two plates are coming together and oceanic plate sinks. Cause earthquakes and volcanoes.
Earthquake
A sudden or violent movement within the Earth’s crust followed by a series of shocks.
Immediate responses
The reaction of people as the disaster happens and in the immediate aftermath.
long term responses
Later reactions that occur in the weeks, months and years after the event.
Monitoring
Recording physical changes, such as earthquake tremors around a volcano, to help forecast when and where a natural hazard might strike.
Planning
measures such as emergency evacuation plans, information management, communications and warning systems.
Prediction
Attempts to forecast when and where a natural hazard will strike. Can be done to some extent for volcanic eruptions (and tropical storms), but less reliably for earthquakes.
Primary effects
The initial impact of a natural event on people and property, caused directly by it
Protection
Actions taken before a hazard strikes to reduce its impact, e.g educating people or improving building design.
Secondary effects
The after-effects that occur as indirect impacts of a natural event e.g fires due to ruptured gas mains resulting from the ground shaking.
Tectonic plate
A rigid segment of the Earth’s crust which can ‘float’ across the heavier, semi- molten rock below
Volcano
An opening in the Earth’s crust from which lava, ash and gases erupt.
