Tectonic processes and
hazards
Whole A-level topic content including case studies, definitions and in
depth explanations made for Edexcel specification
,
, 1.1 Distribution and causes of tectonics
Several major places, minor plates and micro-plates often move in different directions and at different speeds, creating different types of plate boun
therefore variations in earthquake and volcanic activity
- Most earthquake and volcanic activity is found in zones along the plate boundaries
- The boundary that creates earthquakes with a magnitude of 9 on the moment magnitude scale is associated with convergence between an oce
continental plate (destructive plate boundary with subduction)
Intra-plate processes
- Earthquakes can occur intra-plate (middle of the plate)
associated with ancient faults, such as the Rhine Rift Valley
which resulted from the solid crust cracking over many years
- New large faults can be found (African Rift Valley)
- Collisions of tectonic plates may also fracture the crust well
away from the plate boundary, such as in the large xone of the
Himalayas and these may yield large magnitude earthquakes
over a long period as the collision slowly takes place
- Aslo volcanic activity near the centre of some plates (hot spots)
due to either the upswelling of molten material from the
mantle boundary or from the top of a large mantle plume just
under the crust
- Its also possible that large meterorite impacts create
symmetrical hot spots on opposite sides of the planet when
they collide with the earth
hazards
Whole A-level topic content including case studies, definitions and in
depth explanations made for Edexcel specification
,
, 1.1 Distribution and causes of tectonics
Several major places, minor plates and micro-plates often move in different directions and at different speeds, creating different types of plate boun
therefore variations in earthquake and volcanic activity
- Most earthquake and volcanic activity is found in zones along the plate boundaries
- The boundary that creates earthquakes with a magnitude of 9 on the moment magnitude scale is associated with convergence between an oce
continental plate (destructive plate boundary with subduction)
Intra-plate processes
- Earthquakes can occur intra-plate (middle of the plate)
associated with ancient faults, such as the Rhine Rift Valley
which resulted from the solid crust cracking over many years
- New large faults can be found (African Rift Valley)
- Collisions of tectonic plates may also fracture the crust well
away from the plate boundary, such as in the large xone of the
Himalayas and these may yield large magnitude earthquakes
over a long period as the collision slowly takes place
- Aslo volcanic activity near the centre of some plates (hot spots)
due to either the upswelling of molten material from the
mantle boundary or from the top of a large mantle plume just
under the crust
- Its also possible that large meterorite impacts create
symmetrical hot spots on opposite sides of the planet when
they collide with the earth
