The global distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes related to plate tectonics. Flashcards
What is the primary cause of earthquakes and volcanoes
Plate tectonics, specifically the movement and interactions of tectonic plates and plate boundaries
Where do most earthquakes occur?
Most earthquakes occur along plate boundaries, especially at convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.
What is a convergent boundary?
A plate boundary where two plates collide or one plate is forced beneath the other, leading to subduction zones that generate earthquakes and volcanoes.
What is the Ring of Fire?
A major area of earthquake and volcanic activity that surrounds the Pacific Ocean, associated with subduction zones at convergent boundaries.
What are divergent boundaries, what happens there and where do they happen?
Divergent boundaries are where plates move away from each other, creating fissures where magma rises, often causing earthquakes and volcanic activity (e.g., the Mid-Atlantic Ridge).
What is a transform boundary?
A plate boundary where plates slide past each other horizontally, leading to earthquakes (e.g., San Andreas Fault).
What is a hotspot?
A region where magma rises from deep within the Earth’s mantle, often creating volcanic islands, like the Hawaiian Islands.
What type of plate interaction leads to the formation of volcanoes at subduction zones?
At convergent boundaries, one plate is subducted beneath another, causing magma to rise and form volcanoes (e.g., Japan, Indonesia).
What geological feature is associated with divergent boundaries and what happens here?
Mid-ocean ridges, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where new crust forms as plates pull apart, often leading to volcanic activity.
How do earthquakes and volcanoes relate to the movement of tectonic plates?
Earthquakes occur due to the movement and friction at plate boundaries, while volcanoes form from the melting of plate material and the rise of magma at plate boundaries.
