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A level GEO > Tectonics > Flashcards

Tectonics Flashcards

1
Q

Pangea

A

All of the continents were previously connected as one super continent

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2
Q

How are fossils evidence of the theory of plate tectonics?

A

Fossils of the freshwater mesosaurus are found in both south Africa and south America

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3
Q

How is coal evidence of the theory of plate tectonics?

A

Coal can be found in antarctica, it couldn’t have formed there at its current latitude, it needs tropical conditions.

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4
Q

How are maps evidence of the theory of plate tectonics?

A

Maps of the ocean floor show the 11km marianas trench in the phillipines.

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5
Q

Who created the continental drift theory and what is it?

A

1) Alfred Wegner
2)Continents move around the earth like rafts

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6
Q

Where are earthquakes and volcanic activity?

A

Plate boundaries

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7
Q

Why do tectonic plates move?

A

Convection currents from earth’s core

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8
Q

Convection currents definition

A

Hot liquid magma currents that move in circles in the asthenosphere causing plates to move

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9
Q

Seafloor spreading definition

A

Mid ocean ridges/underwater mountains form when hot magma is forced up from the asthenosphere. New crust created splits plates

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10
Q

Subduction definition

A

As new crust is created in one place its destroyed in another. As 2 oceanic plates move to eachother one slides under the other into the mantle.

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11
Q

Convergent plate boundaries + example

A

The denser oceanic plate subducts under the other plate. The oceanic plate melts in the Benioff zone. Magma forces itself up to the surface. Eg Mt St Helens Washington state USA.

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12
Q

Divergent plate boundaries + example

A

Rift volcanoes. Less explosive. Non viscous lava. Basaltic lava. Eg mid Atlantic ridge.

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13
Q

Describe Mt Kilauea Hawaii.

A

-Hawaii islands created by pacific plate moving NW over hot mantle plane.
-High heat + low pressure at the base of lithosphere melts the rock
-Magma rises through fissures forming volcanos.
-Plate moves over hotspot. Existing active volcanos moved from hotspot
-New volcanos formed
-Old volcanos cool and subside

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14
Q

Effusive volcanos

A

High temp, low viscosity, high dissolved gas content, divergent margins, low silica, narrow base

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15
Q

Explosive volcanos

A

Low temp, high viscosity, low dissolved gas content, subduction zone, high silica, wide base

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16
Q

Paleomagnetism

A

Result of the zone of magma striking the Earth’s magnetic polarity when it cools. Used to determine historic periods of tectonic activity by remaking plate boundaries.

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17
Q

Hypocentre

A

The point within the Earth where an Earthquake rupture starts

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18
Q

Liquefaction

A

Where water saturated material temporarily loses normal strength and behaves like a liquid due to the pressure of strong shaking. Occurs in saturated soils.

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19
Q

Primary waves

A

-Type of body waves
-Compression wave/longitudinal
-Moves through solid/liquid/gas

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20
Q

Secondary waves

A

-Type of body waves
-Transverse/ move up and down/side to side
-Sheering waves

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21
Q

Love wave

A

-Type of surface wave
-Moves side to side
-High amplitude

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22
Q

Rayleigh wave

A

-Type of surface wave
-Move in an elliptical motion
-Further reach
-

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23
Q

Surface waves

A

slower
large
more destructive

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24
Q

Why are Earthquakes dangerous?

A

Soil liquefaction
buildings collapsing
landslides
tsunamis

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25
How do buildings collapse
S and L waves shake the ground violently and can cause buildings to collapse especially if weak foundations
26
How do tsunamis happen?
-An Earthquake, volcanic eruption or landslide happens underwater -Water is displaced. Rises due to tectonic energy -Gravity pulls the water down as a wave (One side of crack goes up forcing water above that piece with in) Water is dragged to back to sea first (drawback)
27
Human factors( Tsunamis)
-Power infrastructure -Population -Education/preparation -Warning system -Coastal development -urban/rural
28
Physical factors(Tsunamis)
-Magnitude of earthquake/size of landslide -Distance from epicentre -Coastal inlet- higher wave -Relief (flat land is worse, easier for wave) -Timing -Gradient of shore -Ecosystem -Amplitude, water column displacement,
29
Example of a tsunami:
Asian tsunami 2004 was caused by destructive plate boundary east of thai coastline
30
31
Hazard definition
A perceived natural event that has the potential to threaten both life an property
32
Disaster definition
The realisation of a hazard that causes significant impact on a vulnerable population. Over 100 affected
33
What makes a population vulnerable (Deggs disaster model)
Poor infrastructure Clean water Healthcare Education Warning systems Politics Population density
34
Root causes (pressure and release model)
Limited access to power, structures, resources Political/economic systems
35
Dynamic pressures (Pressure and release model)
Lack of training/investment/press freedom Rapid population change Rapid urbanisation Deforestation
36
Moment magnitude scale
Measure of the energy released by an earthquake based on the "seismic moment" of an earthquake on a logarithmic scale
37
Richter scale
A measurement of the height of waves produced by earthquakes on a logarithmic scale
38
Mercalli scale
A measurement of the impacts of an earthquake based on people's experiences
39
Volcanic explosivity index
A measurement of the volume of material ejected from a volcano, height of cloud and other observations. Logarithmic scale
40
Limitations of hazard event profiles
Don't show human factors like capacity to cope
41
Limitation of mercalli scale
Can be generalised or exaggerated
42
Limitation of richer scale
Doesn't look at duration/physical environment/context
43
Resilience definition
The ability of a community/government/society to prepare for, deal with and recover from hazard
44
Risks in San Francisco
-San Andreas fault -dense population -Flat land - - > liquefaction -Tsunami risk
45
San fransicso resilience
-Quake proof buildings -Higher income--> repair costs -Response plans -Education / training -Stable gob
46
Haiti port au Prince risk
-Make shift slums not reinforced -Steep land so buildings will collapse -No preparation / education -Unstable corrupt gov -2/3 below poverty line
47
2015 Nepal earthquake impacts
-9000 killed -800000 houses destroyed -$8 billion damages -Loss of tourism -500000 homeless
48
2010 Chile earthquake impacts
-214 killed -Electric/water/phone lined cut -Flights diverted -Infrastructure damaged
49
Haiti 2010 earthquake impacts
-7 magnitude -220 000 killed -Poorest in W hemisphere -Cholera outbreak 216000 caught it -360000+ injured
50
Nyiragongo eruption tectonic setting
-Most destructive effusive eruption -Steep sloped volcano - layers of hardened lava, ash and rocks -Congo--> Goma -lava lake in summit -faults and plates stretched as they move apart -Divergent boundary nubian and somali plate -low viscosity basaltic lava 37kmh lava flows
51
Nyiragongo social impacts
125000 homes destroyed by lava 200+ killed by c02 poisoning + lava 40000 evacuated Hygenine problems+water shortage Looting in Goma 120000 homeless Cholera
52
Nyiragongo economic impacts
80% of AIRPORT airstrips covered in lava Business + shops destroyed
53
Nyiragongo environmental impacts
Crops and livestock destroyed by laba Volcanic gases caused acid rain damaging land
54
Nyiragongo short time management
-Regugee camps set up -Oxfam 33 tonnes water + cleansing equipment -$35 million aid -shelters made from scrap metal Emergency vaccines WHO UN 260 tonnes food a week
55
Long term management nyiragongo
-Officials retrained with evacuation plans and communities to target -evacuation drills Leaflets info Lava lake monitored
56
Hazard event profile factors
Magnitude Speed of onset Duration Areal extenr Spatial predictability Frequency
57
Physical factors of 2004 Indian ocean tsunami
Low lying coastlines Epicentre close to communities Large tsunami
58
Human factors of 2004 Indian ocean tsunami
Densely populated coastlines Mangrove forests cut down so less natural protection LICs didn't have resources for protection
59
Social impacts of 2004 Indian ocean tsunami
120 000 Thai workers lost jobs 60% of Sri Lankan industrial infrastructure gone 70% of some villages killed 1500 villages in sumatra destroyed
60
Economic impacts of 2004 Indian ocean tsunami
Us10 billion dollars Thai tourism lost 25 million in a month Fishing tourism farming industries Jetties washes away
61
Environmental impacts of 2004 Indian ocean tsunami
Vegetation and top soil remobed Agricultural soil contaminated Ecosystems like wetlands damaged Freshwater supplies contaminated
62
Management of 2004 Indian ocean tsunami
Warning systems electronic sensors Education Disasters emergency comitee spent over 40 million dollars in Sri Lanka and indonesia Evacuation shelters
63
Social impacts of 2011 Japan tsunami
-6000 injured -16000 killed -50000 missing -46000 buildings destroyed -300 hospitals damaged -fukushima nuclear meltdown
64
Economic impacts of Japan 2011 tsunami
Airports famaged Fukushima Railways damaged 360 billion dollars
65
Environmental impacts of 2011 Japan tsunami
Ecosystems Groundwater contamination Gases stored in insulation released
66
Cause of Japan 2011
Eurasian, pacific and phillipine plates 7.2 on richter scale Pacific plate went under Eurasian plate lifted 9m Epicentre underwater causing tsunami Water 500mph
67
Why aren't all statistics trustworthy?
Deaths may be from hazard itself or secondary effects or long term effects Remote locations aren't recorded eg myanmar in 2004 False claims to get more money Thsiland downplayed consequence to protect tourism
68
Drought in the Philippines
Can happen when wet season hasn't brought enough rain to last dry szn. Decreased HEP
69
Volcanic activity in the Philippines
Eg mt pinatubo 800 killed $700 million 25 volcanoes in the country Deforestation reduced interception
70
Flooding in the phillipines
Happens after typhoons Happens after tdunamks Damage to properrt 2010 450 000 displaced
71
Governance definition
The process by which a country is run
72
Example country with good governance
Iceland
73
How did Iceland demonstrate good governance after te eyja volcano in 2011
700 locals evacuated Seismic proof infrastructure Planned evacuation routes Gov promoted tourism Education + informed population
74
Example country of bad governance
Haiti
75
How does Haiti demonstrate bad governance
Corruption and political volatility Weak government 25 % in extreme poverty Relies on other countries for help Military take over
76
Mitigation definition
Strategies to avoid, delay or predict hazard events through preparing for the hazard
77
Economic governance
Decision making that impacts economic activities like jobs business trade. Impaxts equity poverty and quality of life
78
Political governance
Decision making to create policies eg planning and reduction of natural disasters
79
Administrative governance
System of policy implementation and needs good national and local governance. Functioning enforcement. Vulnerability monitoring. Safety standards
80
Multi hazard zone example
Philippines
81
What can be monitored for volcano prediction?
Earthquakes, ground movement, water chemistry, rock chemistry, volcanic gas
82
How can you modify the loss of a disaster?
-Give aid to poor people/countries -Give insurance to reach people/countries
83
How can you modify vulnerability in a disaster?
-prediction/warning eg Indian ocean warning system -preparedness -Education -Land use planning
84
How can you modify the event? (earthquakes)
Can't control Seismic activity to focus is on making earthquake proof buildings and retrofitting existing ones. Eg San Francisco
85
How can you modify the event? (Volcanoes)
Lava can be diverted or chilled with water. Eg Heimay
86
How can you modify the event? (Tsunamis)
Coastal defences like sea walls and mangroves. Limited evidence on effectiveness
87
Modify cause of event
Only possible for small scale hazards. Environmental control
88
What were the problems with the aid response in Haiti?
-Public institutions sidelined by well meaning organisations that rushed in -90% of funding went to non Haitan organisations -International donors didn't want to give money directly to Haitan organisations -Little access to sanitation health education
89
Parts of the hazard management cycle
Prevention and mitigation Preparation Response Recovery
90
Parts of the hazard management cycle
Prevention and mitigation Preparation Response Recovery
91
Key players
Local people, architects, local gov, insurers, national gov, NGOs, Educators, IGOs, Scientists, Constructors
92
What do local people do as key players
Being prepared and following advice. They didn't do this in Nyiragongo
93
What do architects do as key players
Design earthquake proof buildings
94
What do local government do as key players?
Try to enforce building restrictions eg in vesuvius Italy
95
How are insurers key players
Paying out those with insurance eg after Japanese tsunami
96
How are national government key players
Co ordinating response Land use zoning
97
How are NGOs key players
Help/hinder with response eg in Haiti they hindered
98
How are educators key players
They teach what to do in a earthquake eg GreatShakeout
99
How are IGOs key players
Bringing countries together to learn from mega disasters
100
How are scientists key players
Predicting eruption. Tracking ask cloud eg Eyja Iceland
101
Scientists as key players L'aquila example
-6.3mag 300 killed, Italy -6 scientists + ex gov official arrested -guilty of manslaughter due to failing to predict earthquake -later released. This shows misunderstanding of earthquake science which led to their conviction

A level GEO (8 decks)

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