Detailed Revision/Study Notes around the Edexcel Geography A level Specification: Tectonic EQ3 Module. The notes include each part of the specification broken down into clear sections with linked notes and case studies. These notes were very helpful in my A level revision, achieving me an A*. :))
Geography Consolidation: 1.1
THE GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF TECTONIC HAZARDS CAN BE EXPLAINED BY PLATE BOUNDARY
AND OTHER TECTONIC PROCESSES
a) The global distribution and causes of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis
- Tectonic Hazards: Include earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
- They are classified as either seismic ( earthquakes ) or volcanic
- Main earthquake zones are found along plate boundaries with 70% around the ring of fire
- Most powerful earthquakes are at Convergent of conservative boundaries
- The location of earthquakes causes the following patterns:
- Oceanic Fracture Zone (OFZ) - a belt of activity through oceans
- Continental Fracture Zone (CFZ) - Belt of activity through major mountain ranges
- Some earthquakes in old fault lines
- The distribution of volcanos: They are found along destructive, divergent margins and hotspots
- Tsunamis : Around the Pacific Basin
b) The distribution of plate boundaries resulting from divergent, convergent and
conservative plate movements ( oceanic, continental and combined situations)
- Constructive margins : MOVING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER
- Plates moving away from each other
- Large number of shallow focuses and low magnitude earthquakes - mainly submarine
- New oceanic crust is made which is thinner and denser
- Formations : Rift volcanos ( less explosive and effusive ) and Ridges eg Mid Atlantic Ridge
- Destructive margins: PLATES MOVING TOGETHER
- Plates moving towards each other
- Causes most frequent earthquakes and volcanoes
- This can cause a subduction zone - generating tsunamis and earthquakes
- Continental- Continental:
- Causes large mountain ranges eg Himalayas
- Continental - Oceanic :
- Dense ocean plate collides with light continental, oceanic plate sub-ducts
- Causes : Trench’s, Island Arcs, Fore-arcs, Back-arcs
- Oceanic- Oceanic:
- Heavier plate sub-ducts, forming an oceanic trench
- Very similar to previous but underwater volcano forms which create island arcs
- Conservative margins : MOVING PAST EACH OTHER
- Two plates sliding past each other
- No volcanic- shallow focus earthquakes
- Occurring at the San Andreas Fault
c) The causes of intra-plate earthquakes, and volcanoes associated with hot spots from
mantle plumes
- Hotspot Volcanoes : Found in the middle of tectonic plates, possibly fed by mantle plumes
which are unusually hot compared to surrounding mantle
- As the tectonic plate moves a chain of hotspot volcanos form
- Example: Hawaii Islands
- Intra-plate Earthquake : Caused due to weakness in plate
- Example : Lincolnshire 2008 - 5.2 magnitude
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