Tectonic Hazards: PG Flashcards
What is Subduction?
The process by which the oceanic plate collides with a continental plate (or another oceanic plate), and the oceanic plate (or the older oceanic plate) descends below the continental plate.
What is a Mantle Plume?
This is the process when a large column of hot rock rises from the earths core, through the mantle. The plume travels up until it reaches the lower lithosphere, causing the lithosphere to heat and melt, becoming vulnerable. This intense lava can push and stretch the lithosphere creating volcanoes on the surface of the upper lithosphere. This is how hotspots form.
What is an INTRAplate?
When earthquakes form in the MIDDLE continents. (On the lithosphere)
What is an INTERplate?
When earthquakes form on plate boundaries.
What is Convection?
The movement caused within a fluid when the hotter (less dense) material rises then cools when further too far from heat source, causing it to sync. Hot=rise. Cold=sink.
What is Seismic Activity?
This is vibrations in earth and its crust influenced by earthquakes.
What is Slab Pull?
The PULLING FORCE (gravity) exerted on the oceanic plate plunging into the mantle, pulling the entire plate down due to its own weight.
What are Island Arcs?
Long chains of oceanic islands with intense volcanic activity.
What is the Benioff Zone?
The area beneath the Subducted plate where deep earthquakes occur as well as volcanic activity.
What are Rift Valleys?
Formed when Continental plates move away from one another, magma rises in between, weakening the surface creating valleys as land lowers and falls. These valleys are filled with the eroded material from the ranges and volcanoes form in the centre where magma continues to rise.
What are Mid Ocean Ridges?
Underwater mountain ranges that form when tectonic plates separate and magma rises then cools after magma piles up whilst still being produced before cooling, it creates mid ocean ridges.
What are Deep Ocean Trenches?
Deepest parts of the ocean formed in subduction zones as tectonic plates collide. Form on the sea floor. (Long narrow spots in earths floor)
What are Fold mountains?
When tectonic plates are pushed together forming hills, mountains and mountain ranges.
What is Slab Push?
Plates are pushed away from each other as magma rises forcing older denser rock outwards and the new less dense rock replaces it. The process of the older rock being pushed away is ridge push.
What is Sea Floor Spreading?
Underwater,as two continental plates are being pulled apart, magma is rising through the centre, filling the empty gap. When this magma cools and hardens it creates new land masses of oceanic crust.
THREE facts about the global distribution of hotspots.
- Mainly located on oceanic plates.
- Sporadic in group
- Occur globally on continents.
What patterns of ages do you see within the Hawaiian islands?
Age decreases as you travel East to South.
How are the shapes of Hawaiian Islands formed?
They are influenced by oceanic erosion and its relationship with the sea.
How do Hawaiian Islands Form?
Due to Hawaii being located on top of a hot spot, magma plumes form through concentrated towers of convection activity. The tectonic plates move whilst the magma plume remains stationary, forming new islands above the surface.
What are Archipelagos.
Chains of islands.
What volcanos are most common in Hawaai?
Shield Volcanoes.
Shield Volcano Qualities.
- Basaltic Lava
- Flat gradient
- Very low silica content
- Low gas content
- Not explosive
- Very High temp magma
- Calm, less violent eruptions
- Fluid lava, travels far.
Composite Volcano Qualities.
- Made of layers of Ash and lava
- Sticky Andesitic lava
- Extremely explosive due to build up of pressure
- Steep sided
- Thicker magma does not travel far
What criteria’s must be met to define an event as a disaster?
- 10 people killed
- 100 people effected
- Declaration of an emergency by government
Define Vulnerability.
The susceptibility of a community to impacts of a hazard event.
Define Natural Hazard.
A naturally occurring threat that has the potential to cause loss of life injury, property damage, socioeconomic disruption or environmental degradation.
What are some PHYSICAL factors which makes a place vulnerable to a natural hazard?
- Near the equator
- Located on the coast
- Located near bodies of water
- Topography
- Materials of buildings
- Area prone to extreme weather (hot or cold temps)
- Inaccessible areas
What are some HUMAN factors that make a place vulnerable to natural hazard?
- Development of a country
- Warning systems
- Organisation level of rescue team
- Money availability
- Health and emergency service
- Public education of emergency systems
Define Hazard Resilience.
The ability of a community which is exposed to hazards able to resist, absorb and recover from the effects of it timely and in an efficient manner.
Vulnerability to a Hazard equation.
Risk= Hazard X Vulnerability / Capacity to cope
Define Community Adaptions.
The ability for communities to prioritise, needs, knowledge and capacities after a hazard which help people better cope with and plan for impacts or natural hazards.
Define Mitigation
Actions prior to the event that reduce its impact.
What is a Richter Scale?
Measures the intensity of an earthquake from magnitude.
What is The Modified Meracalli Intensity Scale?
Measures intensity of an earthquake in terms of the amount of shaking due to the surface of which it is made of and the impacts it has on humans.
What is the Moment of Magnitude Scale?
Used by Seismologists to measure the size of the earthquakes in terms of energy released. Calculated from:
1. Amount of slip
2. Area affected
3. An earth rigidity factor
What is the Volcanic Explosivity Index?
A scale that allows explosive volcanic eruptions to be compared with one another. Measures both recent eruptions and Historical. Determined by assessing:
1. Volume/intensity of pyroclastic material ejected by the volcano.
2. Height of the eruption/plume
3. Duration of the eruption
What is the Tsunami Intensity scale?
New tsunami intensity scale, consistent within 12- grade seismic intensity scales. Arranged according to the effects on humans, nature and objects.
What are TWO limitations of the Richter scale?
- The Richter Scale was originally devised to measure the magnitude of earthquakes of moderate size that is for magnitude 3 to 7 so can be less accurate for earthquakes outside this range.
- The scale does not reflect the impact of vertical movement, which can be most damaging.
Advantages of Hazard Profiles on governments.
- Implement land use zoning to keep danger areas clear.
- Educating local people about what to do in a disaster
- Ensuring community preparedness
- Management strategies to manage loss
Difficulties with Hazard Profiles.
- Difficult to compare different hazards due to different measurement scales used.
- Impacts of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis vary.
- Difficult to rank multiple hazards on just one scale.
Why do people in lower income countries and emerging countries have higher vulnerability?
Basic health and nutritional status correlates with their ability to live, nutrition also effects people’s ability to fight disease. There is also a higher income of HIV/AIDs leading to more deaths and demand for healthcare which vulnerable countries cannot afford.
What are traits in Developed countries?
- High population yet low birth rates.
- Economical income is high therefore wealthy people.
- Safe environment and secure livelihoods.
- High technology.
- Independence.
What are traits in emerging countries?
- High populations and high birth rates.
- Poor economy and poor people.
- Unsafe environment and fragile livelihoods.
- Low technology.
- Dependance.
What are The Three P’s
The collective term for Prediction, Preparation and Protection
Define Protection
Constructing buildings so that they are safe to live in and will not collapse.
Define Preparation.
Attempt to reduce the damage likely to be caused by organising drills so that people know what to do in the event of an earthquake and to have emergency services available.
Define prediction.
Attempts to forecast an earthquake where and when it will happen based on current knowledge.
What are Three Protocols that take place in the Pre-disaster stage?
- Risk Assessment
- Migration/prevention
- Preparedness
What Four Protocols take place in the Response Stage?
- Warning/evacuation
- Saving people
- Providing Immediate assistance
- Assessing Damage
What Five Protocols take place in the Post-disaster Stage?
- Restoration of infrastructure services
- Reconstruction
- Economic and social recovery
- Ongoing development activities
- Risk assessment mitigation/prevention
Define Mitigation.
Preventing hazards from becoming disaster or minimising their effect.
Define Preparedness.
The state of being ready for a hazard event.
Define Response.
How quickly a country acts post hazard event.
Define Recovery.
Getting back to normal.