Natural DisastersSignature AssignmentDestiny DeYoung2011

Oceanic-Oceanic, Continental-Continental, Oceanic-Continental, Transform, and Rift form

Earthquakes

Oceanic-Oceanic• MAGNITUDE: 6.5• LOCATION: MARIANA ISLANDS

REGION• DATE: JULY 3, 2011• TIME: 13:10• DEPTH: 290.00 KM (180.20 MI)

This earthquake occurred right in the middle of the ocean. Where two oceanic plates had converged and one subducted under the other. Creating the Mariana Trench. These trenches create tension and stress that is released and causes earthquakes like this one.

Continental-Continental• MAGNITUDE: 7.5• LOCATION: SAKHALIN, RUSSIA• DATE: MAY 27,1995• TIME: 13:03• DEPTH: 11 KM (6.84 MI)

Continental-Continental earthquakes are a little different because instead of one plate falling underneath another. These two continental plates collide into and crumple each other. Therefore creating new mountains or pushing existing ones higher. This earthquake that occurred in Russia occurred where there are now the Sakhalin mountains.

Oceanic-Continental• MAGNITUDE: 7.1• LOCATION: EAST COAST OF

HONSHU, JAPAN• DATE: APRIL 7 • DEPTH: 42.00 KM (26.10 MI)

This earthquake was located near the coast of japan, right on the boundary of the ocean and continent. Due to the occurrence of these two plate types converging the oceanic plate fell beneath the continental plate. The movement along these boundaries caused an earthquake.

Transform• MAGNITUDE: 6.1• LOCATION: SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA• DATE: APRIL 23, 1992• TIME: 4:50• DEPTH: 12.33 KM (7.66 MI)

This earthquake is located on the San Andreas fault line in California. This fault is a very well-known transform fault. It is very popular because it is one of the few transform faults on land. What is happening on this fault line is two plates are sliding along side each other and creating stress.

Rift form• MAGNITUDE: 5.0• LOCATION: ICELAND• DATE: JANUARY 6,1976• TIME: 8:50• DEPTH: 10 KM (6.21 MI)

• This earthquake is on a splitting convergent boundary. Also known as a Rift formation. That is when two plate boundaries split apart and form new land. In this particular case Iceland is splitting along the Mid-Atlantic ridge. New land has begun to exist on both ends of the break.

VolcanoesComposite, Shield, Cinder Cone, and Caldera

Composite Volcano• NAME: TUNGURAHUA• LOCATION: ECUADOR

The subduction of Nazca plate under the South American Plate creates a oceanatic-continental collide that created this composite volcano.

Shield Volcano• NAME: HALEAKALA• LOCATION: HAWAII

Shield volcanoes are caused by hot spots. The Hawaiian islands were all made as the plate shifted over a hot spot producing a chain of shield volcanoes. That are now a chain of islands.

Cinder Cone• NAME: MASCOTA

VOLCANIC FIELD• LOCATION: MEXICO

This volcano is due to the subduction of a oceanic plate to the N. American plate where Mexico is situated.

Caldera• NAME: IWATE• LOCATION: HONSHU,

JAPAN

This volcano is in the middle of the continent, Japan, along convergent plate boundaries. These type of volcanoes are due to a collapse and form craters.

Based on these articles and what you've learned from this assignment, reflect and write.

Reflection!

Describe the correlation there is between earthquakes and volcanoes in terms of the Theory of Plate Tectonics. 

The Theory of Plate Tectonics is crucial to understanding earthquakes and volcanoes. One of the websites we were given to read explained plate tectonics as an ice cream cone dipped in chocolate. The chocolate is hard and solid until the ice cream on the bottom melts and the chocolate begins to break and move. This is exactly like the earth’s crust. The crust floats above the hot mantle and maneuvers to make room for new land that is formed. These various tectonic plate boundaries then are forced to collide, separate, and even crack. Which is the exact cause of Earthquakes and Volcanoes. Specifically, they occur along convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries of the tectonic plates.

Analyze the spatial relationship and distribution that exists with these forces of nature.

The connection of dispersal and positioning of the two forces all comes back to the Theory of Plate Tectonics. This is due to two reasons. The first reason is because they both occur along tectonic plate boundaries. For example if you were to look at the Ring of Fire, a map that displays the tectonic plate boundaries and all the volcanoes, and included all the earthquakes they would be located in similar locations. They both are the result of plates shifting towards, moving away, or sliding adjacent to each other. The second reason is because forces in nature cause other forces in nature. The eruption of a volcano can cause an earthquake. Likewise, the opposite can occur too. These two forces of nature are both related to plate tectonics. Therefore, they are related to each other and that is the reason for the similar connections.

Describe what you learned about earthquakes and volcanoes that you did not know before this course.

From this course I was able to obtain a great deal of information about volcanoes and earthquakes. I learned about the different types of volcanoes and earth and how they are formed. I was able to demonstrate my knowledge of volcano classification and my awareness of volcanoes in this assignment. For both natural forces I had to understand the function of plate tectonic boundaries and more.

Furthermore, I found a few other things very fascinating. It was amazing to find out that although these natural disasters may cause a lot of harm they always have some good that come out of them. I also was not aware that volcanoes are very diverse. I also thought there were just some explosion of lava. I did not even know magma was made of various constituents. Finally, It was interesting to find out that they use a new scale to measure the energy of an earthquake and that they no longer use the Richter Scale. This just proves the importance of continual research for natural hazards and for myself.

How has this helped shift your worldview about natural disasters now that you have a strong scientific understanding of the concept?

Understanding the process of these natural hazards really broadened my realization that they are dangerous and forever changing. They are always doing research to discover the cause of natural disasters and ways we can prevent them. For that reason it became important for me to be prepared for these events. They can occur at any moment and are extremely dangerous. I will take as much precaution as I can for my safety.