Geography Notes (Volcanoes, Mountains,
Earthquakes)
Volcanoes -> Openings/cracks in the Earth’s lithosphere where magma,
gasses from inside the Earth escape
-> 2 Types of Volcanoes -> Composite Volcanoes (Steep-sided,
tall cone-shape, formed from layers
of viscous lava)
-> Shield Volcanoes (Gentle slope,
formed from runny lava)
-> Stages of volcanoes -> Active; erupting/ may erupt soon
(10,000 yrs)
-> Dormant; can erupt again (10,000 yrs)
-> Extinct; will not erupt anymore
(1 million yrs)
Pyroclastic flow -> fast-moving flow of solidified lava pieces, volcanic ash,
hot gases
Magma -> come out as -> Liquid lava (becomes igneous rocks when
solidified)
-> Volcanic bombs
-> Ash, dust, steam, gas
Pros of Volcanoes -> Cools our atmosphere (since Sulfur is released
when volcanoes erupt, it
sticks to water vapor and
floats)
-> Creates land (Since lava cools -> obsidian -> land)
-> Make soil fertile
-> produce water (one of the minerals given out at
eruptions)
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For volcanic eruptions, practice -> Prediction (P)
Planning (P)
Preparation (P)
(5 countries make up 90% of the global volcanic threat)
Natural Hazards -> natural threats that threaten to cause damage and
loss
Natural Disasters -> natural threats that have caused loss of life
Earth’s 4 spheres -> Lithosphere (All land)
-> Biosphere (All life)
-> Hydrosphere (All water)
-> Atmosphere (All air)
Alfred Wegener’s theory -> all continents (seen today) were all
1 super-continent, called Pangea
Evidence supporting Wegener’s theory:
-> Same plant and animal fossils (on different continents)
-> Ice Age happening at the same time on all continents
-> Matching mountain ranges
Mid-Ocean Ridges -> Mountain ranges that form a chain on the center of
the ocean floor
Ocean Ridges -> Mountains on the ocean floor
Valleys/Trenches/Depressions -> low area between mountains
-> formed due to activity in the mantle
(Mariana Trench is the deepest part on Earth we know of)
Mountain Ranges/Belts -> long chain of mountains
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4 Layers of Earth -> Crust (Lithosphere)
-> Mantle (Lithosphere) (Where convection currents
occur)
-> Outer core
-> Inner core
Tectonic Plates -> Large broken sections of the lithosphere
-> 2 Types -> Oceanic, Continental
-> Moves (meet along their edges)
Tectonic Plate Boundaries -> edge of a tectonic plate
-> cause -> Earthquakes
-> Volcanoes
-> Mountain ranges
-> move due to -> Convection currents (in the
mantle)
-> Slab Pull and Ridge Push
Slab Pull -> when weight of slab -> drags it down
Ridge Push -> when mid-ocean ridge sinks and spreads out
Convection currents -> Heat is transferred up and down in fluids
3 Types of Plate Boundaries:
-> Destructive/Convergent Plate Boundaries
(Ocean plate +continental plate) (Continental + continental)
->Due to this -> Continental plate goes up (Ocean plate sinks)
-> Forms: Trenches, Mountain Ranges
-> Constructive/Divergent Plate Boundaries
(Ocean plate + ocean plate)
->Due to this -> Plates are forced apart, letting magma, hot rocks rise
-> Forms: Ridge of Volcanoes, New oceanic lithosphere
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-> Conservative/Transform Plate Boundaries
(2 plates slide past each other)
-> Due to this -> plates can get stuck, when they try to get unstuck,
Earthquakes happen
Earthquake -> sudden violent movement on the Earth’s surface
-> happens when -> 2 plates move past each other
-> ↓ Power = ↑ Distance (from epicenter)
Focus -> area where an Earthquakes starts (underground)
Epicenter -> area where an Earthquake starts (above ground)
Seismic Waves -> waves of energy caused by an Earthquake
-> measured in magnitude (0-10)
For Earthquakes, practice -> Drop (on hands and knees)
-> Cover (neck and head)
-> Hold on (until shaking stops)
3 shocks in Earthquakes -> Foreshock (before earthquake)
-> Mainshock (biggest shock) (the earthquake)
-> Aftershock (after earthquake) (can happen as
long as weeks
after main
shock)
High income countries -> more likely to survive Earthquakes
This is as:
-> There are strict construction laws
-> Buildings are earthquake resistant
-> Controlled Urbanization
-> More educated people
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