Tectonics Glossary

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small particles of rock and volcanic glass that land after a
volcanic eruption has blasted them into the air
ash falls
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the part of the mantle, below the lithosphere, where the rock
is semi-molten
asthenosphere
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the area where friction is created between colliding tectonic
plates, resulting in intermediate and deep earthquakes
Benioff zone
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the group name for Primary and Secondary seismic waves,
because they travel through the Earth’s body
body waves
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where two continental plates meet and the sediments
between them are crumpled and forced up to form high fold
mountains
collision margin
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where two plates slide past each other, also known as a
transform margin
conservative boundary
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where two plates move apart, also known as a divergent
boundary
constructive boundary
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older, thicker layer of crust, which makes up the Earth’s
landmasses. It is less dense than oceanic crust
continental crust
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hot, liquid magma currents moving in the asthenosphere
convection currents
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where two plates move towards each other and collide, also
known as a destructive margin
convergent boundary
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when energy released during an earthquake causes the
Earth’s crust to crack
crustal fracturing
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a deep ditch in the ocean, marking the place where an
oceanic plate starts to sink beneath a continental plate
deep ocean trench
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where two plates move towards each other and collide, also
known as a convergent boundary
destructive boundary
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the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus
epicentre
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the point inside the Earth’s crust from which the pressure is
released when an earthquake occurs
focus
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chains of mountains, formed when two plates collide and the
continental plate is folded and slowly pushed up, for example the Alps
fold mountains
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when volcanic gases (including water vapour, carbon dioxide
and sulphur dioxide) that were dissolved in the magma are
released into the atmosphere during an eruption
gas eruptions
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strategies designed to reduce the impacts of hazard events
hazard adaptations
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strategies meant to avoid, delay or prevent hazard events
hazard mitigation
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a theoretical model of hazard management as a continuous
4-stage cycle involving mitigation, preparation, response and
recovery
hazard management cycle
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an area where radioactive decay within the Earth’s core is
concentrated, generating very hot temperatures and heating
the lower mantle. This creates localised thermal currents
where magma plumes rise
hot spot
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natural hazards caused by climate processes (including
droughts, floods, hurricanes and storms)
hydrometeorological hazard
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earthquakes which occur far from plate margins
intra plate earthquakes
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curved lines of islands, formed when underwater volcanoes
grow and rise above sea level to form separate island
volcanoes
island arcs
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a heavy and sudden flood caused when the heat of a
volcanic eruption melts the snow and ice in a glacier
joekulhlaups
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seismic waves which travel on the surface and are the
slowest waves but cause the most damage
love waves
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masses of rock, mud and water that travel quickly down the
sides of a volcano
lahars
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a process by which local government regulates how land in a
community may be used
land use zoning
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when blocks of rock moves very rapidly downhill, caused
when the ground shaking during an earthquake places stress
on the slopes
landslides
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streams of lava that have erupted from a volcano onto the
Earth’s surface
lava flows
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when the violent shaking during an earthquake causes
surface rocks to lose strength and become more liquid than
solid
liquefaction
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the solid layer, made from the crust and upper mantle, from
which tectonic plates are formed
lithosphere
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a rising column of hot rock created by hot spots heating the
lower mantle, creating localised thermal currents
magma plume
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underwater mountain ranges, formed when hot magma is
forced up from the asthenosphere and hardens, creating new
oceanic crust
mid ocean ridges
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takes observations from people who experienced the
earthquake and rates them on a scale from I (hardly noticed)
to XII (catastrophic)
modified mercalli intensity scale
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measures the total energy released by an earthquake at the
moment it occurs
moment magnitude scale
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an area that is at risk from multiple natural hazards such as
hurricanes and earthquakes
multiple hazard zone
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a major natural hazard that causes significant social,
environmental and economic damage
natural disaster
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a naturally occurring process or event that has the potential
to affect people
natural hazard
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a non-profit organisation created by private organisations or people with no participation or representation by any government
ngo
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a thin, dense layer of crust, which lines the ocean floors
oceanic crust
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the fastest seismic waves and the ones which reach the
surface first. They are high-frequency and pushing like balls
in a line. They travel through both the mantle and core
primary waves
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the study of past changes in the Earth’s magnetic field
paleomagnetism
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a tool used to work out how vulnerable a country is to
hazards
pressure and release model
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a mixture of dense hot rock, lava, ash and gases ejected
from a volcano, which move very quickly across the Earth’s
surface
pyroclastic flows
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steep-sided valleys, formed at divergent boundaries when
the crust stretches and the land between parallel faults
collapses
rift valleys
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seismic waves which are slower than P waves and only
travel through solids, with a sideways motion. They do more
damage than P waves
secondary waves
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when new oceanic crust – formed when hot magma is forced
up from the asthenosphere and hardens – pushes the
tectonic plates apar
seafloor spreading
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when newly formed oceanic crust sinks into the mantle,
pulling the rest of the plate further down with it
slab pull
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when two plates move towards each other and one slides
under the other into the mantle
subduction
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the area in the mantle where a tectonic plate melts
subduction zone
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shows how a country or region might respond after a hazard
event, also called the hazard response curve
park model
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a fault created on a large scale when two plates slide past
each other
transform fault
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where two plates slide past each other, also known as a
conservative boundary
transform boundary
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a series of larger-than-normal waves, which are usually
caused by volcanic eruptions or underwater earthquakes
tsunami
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the increasing proportion of people living in towns and cities as
opposed to the countryside
urbanisation
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a logarithmic scale between 0 and 8 which is used to
describe and compare the size or magnitude of volcanic
eruptions
volcanic explosivity index
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water that is displaced above the sea floor when an
earthquake has caused the sea floor to uplift. This water
column will form tsunami waves
water column
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

the part of the mantle, below the lithosphere, where the rock
is semi-molten

Back

asthenosphere

Card 3

Front

the area where friction is created between colliding tectonic
plates, resulting in intermediate and deep earthquakes

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

the group name for Primary and Secondary seismic waves,
because they travel through the Earth’s body

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

where two continental plates meet and the sediments
between them are crumpled and forced up to form high fold
mountains

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

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