causes of tectonic hazards
There are lots of different factors that play a part in causing tectonic hazards, some are physical, some are human. Some factors can be impacted upon and created by both physical and human actions.
different types of plate boundariesConvergent/Destructive plate boundaries - where oceanic crust is being subducted beneath a continental plate or where two oceanic plates collide. This collision can form a range of earthquake types. The force of the compression as the plates meet causes stresses in the crust and when the pressure is released suddenly, the surface immediately above the earthquake shakes violently.
Divergent/Constructive plate boundaries - these occur when the oceanic ridges of two plates move apart. One example is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. They produce a rift between continents and rift valleys are produced. Upwelling magma leads to volcanoes developing. Transform plate boundaries - occur when two plates slide past each other. As the plates past, huge amounts of pressure build up. The pressure is periodically released through the medium of earthquakes. |
hazard hotspotsThe world map to the right shows hazard hotspots across the world categorised in terms of type of hazard (geo-physical, hydro-meteorological, drought). It is clear that there are more tectonic hazards in southern Europe as well as specific areas like the Philippines, the US and parts of Africa. There are many hazards in the Pacific named the Pacific Ring of Fire. Large amounts of earthquake events and volcanic eruptions occur here in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. 452 volcanoes are located here and 75% of them are active volcanoes or dormant.
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climate changeTo put it simply, climate change allows the temperature of the earth to get warmer, droughts and floods become more of a problem and sea levels rise over long periods of time. Our planet reacts to these in different ways, sometimes more dramatically than predicted and sometimes unpredictable.
Climate change effects the occurrence of tectonic hazards, as the temperature rises hazards like volcanoes and droughts are more frequent however, as we all know that climate change is happening, it is easier for us to predict these events along with the developments of new technologies. This article from the Guardian is useful in explaining why climate change will 'shake the Earth' and make it more prone to tectonic hazards. |