Tectonic Plates and Earthquakes Flashcards
What are convergent tectonic plates?
These tectonic plates collide forming mountains or subductions zones
Also known as destructive
Volcanoes
What are subduction zones?
When a plate has slid under another one
What are divergent tectonic plates?
When plates seperate creating a new crust like mid-ocean ridges
also known as constructive plates
What are transforming tectonic plates?
When plates slid past each other creating earthquakes
How are earthquakes measured?
Seismographs - richter scale, measures the energy released during an earthquake
Define tectonic plates
Earth’s crust is split into large pieces that slowly move around and interact with each other. Each piece is a tectonic plate.
What are the two types of convergent tectonic plates?
Subduction - When an older tectonic plate moves twoards another one and goes under it to form a deep trench. The friction of this collision makes a earthquake.
Collision - Occurs when subduction brings two continents closer together, causing folding of the rock to create anticlines and synclines. Eventually, huge mountain ranges are formed
The different waves emitted from an earthquake are…
P Waves, L Waves and S Waves
What are P Waves?
Primary waves - move through earth the same way as sound does through air. Moves lengthwise and are the fastest out of all the seismic waves. Moves through Earth’s body.
What are S Waves?
Moves in peaks and lows, like waves in an ocean. Moves through Earth’s body.
What are L Waves?
Surface waves that travel around Earth, unlike P and S waves which travel through. Move the slowest because they are responsble for earthquake’s destructive power.
Why does Australia not suffer from volcanoes and earthquakes?
Because it’s in the middle of the tectonic plate.
