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GEOGRAPHY key terms > Tectonics > Flashcards

Tectonics Flashcards

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1
Q

ASH

A

The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance e.g. rock

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2
Q

ASTHENOSHPERE

A

The upper part of the mantle on which the plates float

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3
Q

BENIOFF ZONE

A

Where an oceanic plate is subducted by a continental plate

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4
Q

COLLISION PLATE MARGIN

A

Where two continental plates meet and collide to form fold mountains e.g. Himalayas.

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5
Q

CONVERGENT PLATE MARGIN

A

Continental/oceanic
Oceanic subducted forming oceanic trenches and volcanoes
Oceanic/oceanic
Faster plate subducted to form ocean trench and often island arcs

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6
Q

COMPOSITE CONE VOLCANO

A

Steep sided volcano formed of alternating layers of ash and lava, typically ejects andesitic or rhyolitic lava from the crater.

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7
Q

CONSERVATIVE PLATE MARGIN

A

Transform margin where two plates move side by side in opposing or similar directions often resulting in a locked fault which can have strong earthquakes.

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8
Q

DIVERGENT PLATE MARGIN

A

Typically two oceanic plates move away from each other allowing new amaga to cool and form new land, can also create mid oceanic ridges.

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9
Q

CRUSTAL FRACTURING

A

Where two plates collide causing the crust to fracture, can often cause a large fault to extend towards the centre of a plate.

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10
Q

EARTHQUAKE SEISMIC WAVES

A

Energy released in the form of P,S and L waves from the hypocentre of an earthquake.

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11
Q

ELASTIC ENERGY

A

When a plate is subducted it’s original shape is warped, eventually the elastic energy of the plate exceeds the strength of the plate above it causing is to ‘flip’ up.

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12
Q

EPICENTRE

A

The place on the surface of the earth directly above the hypocentre, this area has the shortest focal length possible.

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13
Q

FOCAL DEPTH

A

The distance from the hypocentre to the surface, often measured multiple times in relations to the nearest population cluster.

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14
Q

HOT SPOT VOLCANO

A

A magma plume heated by the radioactive core rises to the rust where it finds a fault in the centre of a plate causing a chain of volcanic islands to form (Atoll)

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15
Q

HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARDS

A

Hazards caused by meteorological changes in atmospheric pressure e.g. hurricanes, floods, droughts.

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16
Q

HYPOCENTRE

A

The exact point where pressure exceeds strength of a plate causing an area. This is where seismic waves are released from.

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17
Q

INTENSITY

A

The relative damage or energy released by a hazard measured on a scale e.g. MMS VEI

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18
Q

INTRAPLATE

A

A crack or fault that extends into the centre of a plate away from the boundary. Can also be an ancient fault line that is reactivated.

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19
Q

JOKULHLAUPS

A

An Icelandic term for glacial outbursts or floods caused by the destruction of a natural dam e.g. glacial dams being melted by volcanic activity

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20
Q

LAHAR

A

Saturated soil infused with tephra (ash) forming a series of mudslides, usually down a composite volcano slope resembling a landslide.

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21
Q

LANDSLIDE

A

Antecedent conditions can make a cliffside unstable, then when an earthquake takes place soil liquefaction can cause large amounts of mountain/ cliffside to shift downwards.

22
Q

LAVA FLOWS

A

The streams and channels formed by low viscosity lava e.g. basaltic lava

23
Q

LIQUEFACTION

A

When moist soil is shaken violently (by an earthquake) land subsidence can take place as loosely packed soil forms pores where water can rise as water pressure decreases.

24
Q

LITHOSPHERE

A

The rigid outer layer of the earth including the plates and upper mantle

25
Q

LOCKED FAULT

A

Where two parts of a plate meet and cannot move past each other due to intense friction.

26
Q

LONGITUDINAL WAVES (love waves)

A

Waves that travel along the surface of the crust causing horizontal movement of land with a damaging long wavelength

27
Q

MAGNITUDE

A

The strength of an event e.g. earthquake

28
Q

MANTLE CONVECTION

A

The continuous heating and cooling of the mantle causing circular movements which contribute to slab pull which moves the plates around the earth.

29
Q

MANTLE PLUMES

A

Parts of the mantle that are heated more than usual by the radioactive core which rise up t the surface and can cause the formation of oceanic hotspot volcanic islands in the centre of a plate known as an Atoll

30
Q

MERCALLI SCALE

A

A subjective scale formerly used to measure the intensity of an earthquake but had been replaced by the MMS scale

31
Q

MITIGATION

A

The attempts to reduce the severity of a hazard e.g. sea walls to slow tsunamis or evacuations

32
Q

MOMENT MAGNITUDE SCALE

A

The most effective measure of the intensity of an earthquake focusing on the amount of energy released from the hypocentre

33
Q

MULTIPLE HAZARD ZONE

A

An area that is at risk of experiencing multiple hazards e.g. Japan can have typhoons and tsunamis

34
Q

NATURAL HAZARD

A

A hazard caused by an natural event that we cannot prevent and have no influence on e.g. earthquake

35
Q

P WAVES

A

Caused by compressions in the direction if travel and have a weak side to side movement and arrive first

36
Q

PALEOMAGNETISM

A

The earths ability to switch its magnetic poles

37
Q

PYROCLASTIC FLOW

A

In the case of a composite volcano parts of an ash cloud can quickly descend down the steep mountain sides at speeds of 600km/h and are very hot e.g. Pompeii

38
Q

RAPID ONSET

A

Hazards that arise quickly and cannot be predicted far in advance e.g. earthquakes

39
Q

RISK

A

How vulnerable an area is to a hazard, based on a range of social economic and environmental factors.

40
Q

S WAVES

A

Up and down movement of solid materials and operate at 60% of the speed that P waves do

41
Q

SEA FLOOR SPREADING

A

When a divergent plate margin occurs between two oceanic plates forming a mid oceanic ridge e.g. mid Atlantic ridge

42
Q

SLAB PULL

A

Friction of the plates with the mantle convection currents means that plates are pulled around the surface of the earth

43
Q

SLOW ONSET

A

A hazard that takes a long time to develop and can be predicted in advance e.g. hurricanes and be tracked

44
Q

SPEED OF ONSET

A

How quickly a hazard takes to have an effect since it was predicted or noticed. Can have a large impact on severity

45
Q

SUBDUCTION

A

Where a faster denser plate is pushed underneath another plate

46
Q

TECTONIC STRAIN

A

The pressure forced onto a plate which can cause earthquakes if the pressure is released quickly

47
Q

TSUNAMI

A

“ harbour wave” in Japanese meaning a large wave caused by tectonic upthrust which displaces a large column of water

48
Q

VOLCANIC EXPLOSIVITY INDEX

A

Measure of the potential danger of an earthquake. Logorithmic scale in which the largest volcano so far is Yellowstone with a value of 8 it is open ended

49
Q

VULNERABILITY

A

How at risk a population are to a hazard based on a range of social,economic and environmental factors

50
Q

WATER COLUMN DISPLACEMENT

A

Undersea earthquakes can cause this to happen by a sudden upwards jolt resulting is a tsunami

GEOGRAPHY key terms (3 decks)

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