To what extent can we mitigate the effects of earthquakes and volcanoes?

Question 1

Can you define Natural Hazard

Answer 1

Natural hazards are defined as environmental phenomena that have the potential to impact societies and the human environment. These should not be confused with other types of hazards, such as manmade hazards.

Question 2

Describe the theory of continental drift and give a few evidences of this theory.

Answer 2

The theory of continental drift is, a long time ago all the continents were together but beacuse of something they started to drift apart from each other. Some evidence of this is that fossils of Lystrosaurus (a land animal) were found in India, Africa and Antarctica. There is also that areas of the world show evidence of glaciation. These areas have tropical climates today .

Question 3

Describe the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes.

Answer 3

Volcanoes and earthquakes are not randomly distributed around the globe. Instead they tend to occur along limited zones or belts. With the understanding of plate tectonics, scientists recognized that these belts occur along plate boundaries.

Question 3

Explain why plates moves using the theory of ridge push - slab pull.

Answer 3

‘Ridge Push’ and ‘Slab Pull’ are thought to be the major forces driving the motion of oceanic plates. Ridge push is caused by the potential energy gradient from the high topography of the ridges. Slab pull is caused by the negative buoyancy of the subducting plate.