Tectonics Flashcards
What is plate tectonics?
Plate tectonics is a theory that explains how the Earth’s crust is divided into a number of plates that move and interact with each other.
What are the types of plate boundaries?
There are three types of plate boundaries: constructive, destructive, and transform (conservative), collision and transform
What happens at a collision plate boundary?
two continental plates collide, neither can sink and so the land buckles upwards to form fold mountains.
What happens at a constructive plate boundary?
At a constructive plate boundary, two plates are moving away from each other. This can cause the formation of mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys. An example is the mid Atlantic ridge.
What happens at a destructive plate boundary?
At a destructive plate boundary, two plates are moving towards each other. This can cause the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes. An example is the pacific ring of fire (pacific plate)
What happens at a transform plate boundary?
At a transform plate boundary, two plates are sliding past each other horizontally. This can cause the formation of transform faults and earthquakes. An example is the san andreas fault.
What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is a sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by the movement of tectonic plates.
What is a tsunami?
A tsunami is a series of large ocean waves caused by an underwater earthquake or other underwater disturbance.
What is a volcano?
A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s surface through which magma, ash, and gases can be ejected.
What is the focus of an earthquake?
The focus of an earthquake is the point beneath the Earth’s surface where the seismic activity originates.
What is the epicentre of an earthquake?
The epicentre of an earthquake is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus.
What is the Richter scale?
The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake.
What is the Mercalli scale?
The Mercalli scale is a scale used to measure the intensity of an earthquake based on the observed effects on people, buildings, and the environment.
What are some common effects of earthquakes?
Some common effects of earthquakes include ground shaking, ground rupture, landslides, and tsunamis.
How can earthquakes be predicted?
Earthquakes cannot be predicted with certainty, but scientists can use historical data to identify areas that are at higher risk of earthquakes and monitor for signs of potential seismic activity.
