natural hazards Flashcards
(81 cards)
describe the oceanic crust
-basalt and gabbro
-6km thick
-thin
-dense
describe the continental crust
-granite
-35km thick
-thicker
-less dense
what is the slab pull movement of the crust
- occurs at destructive boundary
- dense oceanic plate subducted
- as the plate sinks into the mantle the rest of the plate follows
what is the convection currents movement of the crust
-hot magma rises and spreads out under the plates
-as it cools it becomes denser and sinks
what is the ridge push movement of the crust
-also known as gravitational sliding
-occurs at constructive plate boundaries
-magma rises up and solidifies, creating new plate and pushing old plate apart
what happens at a destructive plate boundary
1- two plates pushed together, heavier oceanic gets subducted beneath lighter continental
2- oceanic plate sticks and locks as it tries to slide under the continental
3- heat from friction and the mantle starts to melt the subducted plate
what happens at a constructive plate boundary
1- two plates move apart from eachother
2- a gap appears and molten magma rises to fill the gap
3- solidifies to create new rocks on the sea bed
4- over time layers of new rocks build up and break through the surface of the ocean
what happens at a conservative plate boundary
1- two plates slide in the same direction
2- pressure and mention builds up as the plates lock together
3- eventually the plates break causing a sudden surge forward - earthquake
what happens at a collision plate boundary
1- two continental plates crash into eachother
2- as they collide they trigger earthquakes
3- the rocks between the plates get pushed up and folded
formation of sea floor spreading at a constructive margin
- two plates move away from eachother
- molten magma rises creating new crust
-submarine volcanoes can form
formation of a rift valley at a constructive margin
- two players move away from each other
- molten magma rises creating new crust
formation of a deep sea trench at a destructive margin
- continental and oceanic plates meet
- oceanic plate is subdued underneath
formation of island arcs at destructive margins
-magma pushes up from the trenches creating a volcano
- the magma solidifies creating an island
formation of young gold mountains at collision margins
- continental plates meet
- both plates push upwards
formation of fault lines at conservative margins
- two plates move parallel to eachother
- crust is neither created nor destroyed
what are fissure eruptions at constructive margins
- occur when two plates move apart
- lava is ejected through fissures
- normally comprised of basalt
- the snow cooling of the lava produces columnar jointing
- lava fills of hollows rather than creating a dome shape
formation of shield volcanoes at constructive margins
- lava flows from a central vent
- lava spreads over a large area before solidifying
- results in a cone with long, gentle sides
- volcano is made up of many layers
formation of dome volcanoes at destructive margins
- lava flows from a central vent
- acid lava quickly solidifies
- steep sided convex cone
- volcano is made up of many layers
formation of ash and cinder cones at destructive margins
- fine ash and cinder is ejected from a central vent
- layers of ash and cinder build up
- shallow sided concave sides
- volcano is made up of many layers
formation of caldera volcanoes at destructive margins
- gas builds up in the magma chamber causing an explosion
- the sides of the crater subside
- craters can be flooded by the sea creating lagoons
formation of magma plumes
-radioactive decay in the earths core heats the mantle creating plumes of magma
- this causes the plates to move or create a hot spot volcano
- the hot spot stays fixed whilst the plate above moves, creating a chain of extinct volcanoes
- bends in the chain show plate movement
what is pyroclastic flow
- mix of hot rock lava ash and gases
- more common with andesitic lava
- often occur at subduction zones
- can travel large distances
- temp of 350c to 1000c
pyroclastic flow impacts
- destroys any object or structure in its path
- can cause fires
- ice and snow can melt due to high temps
- risk of serious burns
- can cause floods and lahars
what is nuce ardente
- means ‘glowing cloud’
- contain more dense material
- are normally only found 50km from source