P1: Tectonic Hazards Flashcards
What is a natural hazard
A natural hazard is a natural process or event that poses potential risk of damage to property, and loss of life
Types of natural hazards
Tectonic hazards - Tsunami, Earthquake
Geomrphological hazards - avalanche, flood
Atmospheric hazards -hail,hurricane,blizzard
Biological hazards - Wildfire, malaria, grassfire
What is a hazard risk
A hazard risk is the probability of being affected by a natural event
Factors affecting hazard risk
Proximity - how close you are to the event
Urbanisation - highly populated areas are at high risk
deforestation - clearing forests will increase space for lava to flow
climate change - may cause droughts in a lot more areas and flooding in others.
Farming - when a river floods they release nutrients for crops
Poverty - in poorer areas of the world people would live in areas of high risk
Factors that influence the effect of natural hazards
Human - population density, emergency services, warning time, how people react, land use, community preparedness
Physical - geology/soil, magnitude of event, duration of event, frequency, time of day, ground type.
Layer of the earth - Crust
Oceanic - basalt, solid, 6-10km thick, 200-400 degrees celcius., outer layer of crust
continental - Granite, solid , 50-100km, 500-1000 degrees celcius, inner layer of crust
Layer of the earth - Mantle
Top = rock, Bottom = molten rock, solid and liquid, 2900km thick, 400-4500 degress celcius, flows slowly
Layer of the earth - Outer core
Iron and nickel,liquid, 1250km,<3700 degrees celcius, currents generate earth magnetic field
Layer of the earth - Inner core
Iron and nickel, solid, half the diameter of the earth, <5000 degress celcius/
Lithosphere
The solid crust and solid mantle
Asthenosphere
The solid crust is floating on the molten asthenosphere
Three ways heat energy travels
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Why do the plates on the earth move
As heat rises from the core it creates convection currents in the liquid outer core and mantle.
These currents are so strong enough to move the tectonic plates- they pull and push at the crust.
Radioactive decay in the core creates the heat that is the engine of the plate techtonics
What is a constructive plate margin
Where two plates move apart and molten magnma rises and then cools down to form solid rock. Lava is usually runny and spreads out before it solidifies. e.g. Mid atlantic ridge.
What is a Destructive plate boundary
When an oceanic and continental plate move towards each and the oceanic plate sinks under the continental plate. The friction between the two causes strong earthquakes and tsunamis. e.g. Andes Mountains in Peru and Chile
What is a conservative plate boundary
When two plates do not collide but move past each other. Earthquake occurs. San Andreas Fault.
What is a collision plate boundary
They cause the material to rise upwards forming mountains. Causes destructive earthquakes, landslides. The Himalayas
What is a volcano
A volcano is an opening or vent in the earths surface through which molten materials erupts and solidifies as lava.
Details about a volcano at a Destructive plate margin
Composite Volcano. Lots of layers of ash and lava build around the main vent to form a strato volcano because they release carbon dioxide. At this location adesthetic magnma is made where continental rocks are melted by the magma. It is lower in temperature than the basaltic magma. e.g Montserrat
Details about a volcano at a constructive plate margin
Shield Volcano. Creates basaltic magma. The emerging lava is quite runny and hotter so the shape of the volcano is low and wide. e.g. Sutney Island, Island.
Details about a volcano at Hot Spot Inter-plate
Shield volcano. Magma plumes are formed at these volcanoes. These shield volcanoes have gentle oozing lava which comes out very slowly. e.g. Mauna Loa Hawai
How are volcanoes formed at a constructive plate margin
The techtonic plate is melted by the upper part of the mantle and hot molten magma rises to form a gap. The slab pull allows the lava to pour out and then form solid rock. The tectonic plates are moved apart by slab pull. As more and more lava piurs out a shield volcano forms and the rising magma pours out forming another layer a bigger volcano.
How are volcanoes formed at destructive plate margins
As the two plates move towards each other, the less dense one falls below. the oceanic plate is denser and gets melted below. The composite volcano is then formed.
How are volcanoes formed at Hot spots
The plate moves apart in every direction and gets thin in the middle. This piece then gets torn by melting. Basaltic lava then erupts and then a shield volcano is formed.