Tectonic Activity

Broken into slabs of rock: Tectonic plates

Seven major plates several smaller

The 'float' on mantle rock

Two types of plates Oceanic and Continental

Fold mountains are formed when two plates collide

Exampes of these: Alps, Andes, Rockies and Himalayas

Used by people: settlement, tourism, forestry and farming

Plate boundaries are where tectontic plates meet

Constructive boudary new crust is formed minor earthquakes occur when plates move and volcanis activity.

Collision boundary plates buckle and form fold mountains powerful earthquakes no volaconos

Destructive boundary ocenaic crust dense forced down and melts explosive volcanoes and powerful earthquakes.

Conservative boundary plates become locked, plates move suddenly causing powerful earthquakes

Caused by movements of the earths crust.

Earthquakes may occur along fault lines in the crust.

The earhquake focus is called the epicentre.

Primary effects: Buildings collapse, bridges and roads collapse, signs and glass brake/fall.

Secondary effects: Fires, Water cut off, Access difficult, Diseases spread, Tsunami waves.

Long-term effects: Unemployment, Homelessness, Economic damage, Emotional damage

Not possible to predict

Earthquake resistand buildings

Emergency plans

Earthquake drills

Case study1..

pakistan earthquake

pakistan, 8th october 2005, 7.6 on the rictor scale, 73000 deaths, 3million homeless, 3billion for repairs ect. pakistan is on a collision boundary between the eurasian and indo-australian plates

Case study 2..

Kobe earthquake

Japan, 17th january 1995, 7.2 on the rictor scale, 5000 deaths, 300000 homeless, 80 billion for repairs ect. Japan is on a destructive plate boundary between the philippine plate and the eurasian plate.

Two types Sheild and Composite

sheild:constructive plate boundaries, magma rises to fill the gap gentle eruptions e.g. iceland

Composite: Destructive plate boundaries, oceanic crust melted, magma forces way up very explosive e.g. mount st helen USA.

can predict volcanoes

hazard maps drawn

people evacuated

lava flows can be diverted by spraying them with water.

Benefits of living on tectonic plate boundaries: fertile soils, Geothermal energy, tourism, Minerals

Effects of eruption: Pyroclastic flow, Mudflow, Lava flow, Ash fall, Global climate