Theme 1: The World – Our Home

Tectonic Activity

The structure of the Earth

The Earth is made up of four distinct layers:

1. The inner core is in the centre and is the hottest part of the Earth. It is

solid and made up of iron and nickel with temperatures of up to 5,500°C. With

its immense heat energy, the inner core is like the engine room of the Earth.

2. The outer core is the layer surrounding the inner core. It is a liquid layer,

also made up of iron and nickel. It is still extremely hot, with temperatures

similar to the inner core.

3. The mantle is the widest section of the Earth. It has a thickness of

approximately 2,900 km. The mantle is made up of semi-molten rock called

magma. In the upper parts of the mantle the rock is hard, but lower down the

rock is soft and beginning to melt.

4. The crust is the outer layer of the earth. It is a thin layer between 0-60 km

thick. The crust is the solid rock layer upon which we live.

There are two different types of crust: continental crust, which carries land,

and oceanic crust, which carries water.

The diagram shows the

structure of the earth. In

geography, taking a slice

through a structure to see

inside is called a cross

section.
Plate tectonics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OinfMLdornU

The earth’s crust is divided into 7 large and even smaller plates. Plates may move
towards, away from or sideways along adjacent plates. It is at plate boundaries
that most of the world’s major landforms occur, and where earthquake, volcanic
and mountain building zones and are located.

Landforms at constructive/divergent boundaries

Constructive boundaries occur where 2 plates diverge, or move away, from each
other and new crust is created at the boundary. The area on land where the
boundary is found is called a rift. New land is created by magma pushing up from
the mantle and cooling as it reaches the surface.
Landforms at destructive/convergent boundaries

This boundary is where two tectonic plates push towards each other. Sometimes
one plate will move under the other. This is called subduction. Even though the
movement is slow, convergent boundaries can be areas where mountains and
volcanoes form, and there can also be a lot of earthquake activity.

Tsunamis are giant waves, often generated at destructive plate margins.

Landforms at conservative/transform boundaries

A transform boundary is one where two plates slide past each other. These places
are called faults and you often find a lot of earthquakes in these areas.

The Alpide Belt, passes through the Mediterranean region eastward

through Asia and joins the Circum-Pacific Belt in the East Indies. The energy
released in earthquakes from this belt is about 15 percent of the world total.
This explains the seismic activity in the area, together with Etna, Stromboli and
mountain regions in Italy, Turkey and Greece.

Earthquakes

They result from a slow build-up of pressure within the crustal rocks. If this
pressure is released then parts of the surface may experience a jerking
movement. Within the crust this is called the focus, above the surface it is called
the epicentre. The strength of an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale.
Dangers associated with earthquakes

The major dangers of earthquakes include other hazardous effects that could
occur after an earthquake subsides, such as liquefaction, tsunamis, further
ground tremors and landslides.

 Liquefaction is the process of the ground melting down to a liquid state

after an earthquake. The ground may no longer be solid, which puts
buildings and other foundations at risk.

 Tsunamis typically occur after an earthquake and may cause massive waves
due to the reverberations of the earthquake.

 Even after an earthquake ends, ground tremors may still persist, causing
even more harm to areas already damaged by an earthquake. Portions of
rock or ground can begin to slough off and fall, causing landslides. Buildings
might fall, fires from broken gas pipes, etc providing danger to people.

Volcanic Activity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAmqsMQG3RM

Active volcanoes erupt regularly. Mt Etna (Italy), Mt Stromboli (Italy), Mt Yasur

(Republic of Vanuatu).

Dormant volcanoes are the volcanoes that are quiet, but might possibly erupt
again. A dormant volcano is "sleeping," but it could awaken in the future. Dormant
volcanoes include those which have not erupted in the past 10,000 years. Mt
Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa), Mt Ararat (Turkey), Mt Fuji (Japan), Mt Pelée
(Martinique), Mt Kea, Hawaii.

Extinct volcanoes are volcanoes which have not erupted for the past 10,000
years. They no longer have lava supply.

Hazards & benefits of volcanoes

Hazards

 Eruptions pose a direct & indirect threat to people.

 Pyroclastic flows, lava flows, falling ash & gas are deadly due to high
temperature & damage to property.
 Earthquakes, tsunamis, rainfall-caused debris flow are indirect hazards.
Benefits

 Fertile soils
 Pollution free source of thermal & electric energy.
 Tourism
 Volcanic rocks & magmatic rocks contain valuable ore deposits, pumice,
cinders & raw materials for the road-building, constructing, manufacturing
& landscaping industries.

ACTIVITIES
1. What are constructive plate margins?
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2. Suggest one way in which areas close to constructive plate margins may be
of economic value.
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3. What are destructive plate margins?
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4. Suggest one way in which areas close to destructive plate margins may be
of economic value.
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5. How are earthquakes formed?
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6. What instrument is used to measure the strength of an earthquake?
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7. Name some hazards associated with earthquakes.
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8. Name the 3 different types of volcanoes.
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9. Name some hazards associated with volcanoes.
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10. Name some benefits associated with volcanoes.
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11. Describe the theory of plate tectonics and explain how earthquakes and
volcanoes are created at plate boundaries. Discuss the hazards and
benefits associated with them