Volcanoes / earthquakes Flashcards
what are the 3 different types of plate boundaries?
- convergent
- divergent
- conservative
explain and describe convergent (destructive) plate boundaries?
continental and continental
oceanic and oceanic
continental and oceanic
convergent plate boundaries are plates which are moving towards each other.
- when two continental plate move towards each other they will form a fold mountain range, because they are made of relatively low density rock. eg. Himalayas
- when two oceanic plates converge with each other they will create volcano islands , because the eruption occurred under water. (pacific subducting under Philippine
- when a continental and an oceanic plate converge, subduction occurs. this will lead to earthquakes and fold mountains. (Nazca and South American plate).
explain and describe divergent (constructive) plate boundaries:
these are found when two oceanic plates move AWAY from each other. when the two plates move away from each other the gap between them will be replaced by magma, if a lot of magma escapes, submarine volcanoes will form, which might lead to volcanic island in the future.
(eg. iceland)
information about conservatory plate boundaries:
this is when two plates slide past each other. no magma rises, no subduction occur. however this isn’t smooth. it builds up stress in the rocks, eventually this pressure will release and create an earthquake.
what is subduction?
subduction occurs when a denser and heavier oceanic plate is dragged down under a lighter continental plate forming a deep ocean trench.
what is a hotspot?
a hotspots are locations where there is strong volcanic activity going on under the earths crust (eg. in hawaii)
what is a collision margin?
this is when 2 plates with the same srength and density move directly into each other an are squeezed upwards.
(eg. Himalayas)
is the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes similar?
yes. in the way that they both occur along plate boundaries.
what is the pyroclastic flow?
pyroclastic flow is a devastating eruption of extremely hot gas, ash and rocks. it travels very fast (up to 200km/h)
what are the volcanic hazards?
- lava flows (destroy farmland, lives and houses)
- ash ( destroys crops, loss of income)
- roofs can collapse
- gas emissions (kill)
- pyroclastic flow
what are the earthquake hazards?
- buildings collapse on people (death)
- can cause fires
poorly designed buildings are a major hazard
definition of an earthquake?
a sudden and brief period of intense shaking of the ground.
what is liquefaction?
when an earthquake occurs and the floor a building is standing on is so weakened that the building sinks into the ground because the now softer, weaker rocks cant hold the weight of the building.
what affects the amount of damage an earthquake causes?
- the depth of the focus ( the shallower the more damage)
- the type of rock
what can an earthquake under the sea cause
a tsunami. (high waves)