Sam Goold
E-portfolio assignment
Natural Disasters
Tracking Earthquakes using Google Earth
Oceanic Continental – When an oceanic plate pushes into and subducts under a continental plate, the
overriding continental plate is lifted up and a mountain range is created.
Magnitude 5.0
Location - near the coast of Ecuador
Date:
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 18:07:11 UTC
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 01:07:11 PM at epicenter
Depth: 27.90 km (17.34 mi)
Magnitude 4.4
Location - near the west coast of Honshu, Japan
Date:
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 13:15:53 UTC
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 10:15:53 PM at epicenter
Depth: 35.00 km (21.75 mi)
Continental Continental- When two continents meet head-on, neither is subducted because the
continental rocks are relatively light and, like two colliding icebergs, resist downward motion. Instead,
the crust tends to buckle and be pushed upward or sideways.
Magnitude 5.0
Location - northern Xinjiang, China
Date: Sunday, January 8, 2012 06:20:08 UTC
Sunday, January 8, 2012 02:20:08 PM at epicenter
Depth: 23.00 km (14.29 mi)
Oceanic-Oceanic – two oceanic plates converge one is usually subducted under the other and in the
process a deep oceanic trench is formed.
Magnitude - 5.2
Location - Vanuatu region
Date:Tuesday, January 10, 2012 01:45:39 UTC
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 12:45:39 PM at epicenter
Depth: 15.50 km (9.63 mi)
Divergent - At divergent boundaries new crust is created as two or more plates pull away from each
other.
Magnitude – 7.2
Location – off the west coast of northern Sumatra
Date:
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 18:36:59 UTC
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 12:36:59 AM at epicenter
Depth: 20.50 km (12.74 mi)
Transform – They offset active spreading ridges, producing zig-zag plate margins, and are generally
defined by shallow earthquakes.
Magnitude – 4.1
Location – Gulf of California
Date:
Friday, January 6, 2012 17:11:11 UTC
Friday, January 6, 2012 10:11:11 AM at epicenter
Depth: 12.10 km (7.52 mi)
Tracking Volcanoes Using Google Earth
Composite Volcano- Some of the Earth's grandest mountains are composite volcanoes. They are
typically steep-sided, symmetrical cones of large dimension built of alternating layers of lava flows,
volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and bombs and may rise as much as 8,000 feet above their bases.
Mt. St. Helens
Tectonic Plate- Continental
Cinder Volcano- Cinder cones are the simplest type of volcano. They are built from particles and blobs
of congealed lava ejected from a single vent.
Paricutin, Michoacan, Mexico
Tectonic Plate- Oceanic-Continental
Shield Volcano- built almost entirely of fluid lava flows, flow after flow pours out in all directions
from a central summit vent, or group of vents, building a broad, gently sloping cone of flat, domical
shape, with a profile much like that of a warrior's shield. They are built up slowly by the accretion of
thousands of highly fluid lava flows called basalt lava that spread widely over great distances, and
then cool as thin, gently dipping sheets.
Kilauea, Hawaii
Tectonic Plate – Hot Spot
Caldera- Bulbous masses of lava too viscous to flow any great distance; consequently, on extrusion,
the lava piles over and around its vent. A dome grows largely by expansion from within. As it grows its
outer surface cools and hardens, then shatters, spilling loose fragments down its sides.
Lassen Peak, California
Tectonic Plate – Transform (San Andreas)
1.
Describe the correlation between earthquakes and volcanoes in terms of the Theory of Plates
Tectonics.
In the article, Unanswered Questions they discuss that both volcanoes and earthquakes need
internal heat to function and it is the escape of this heat from volcanoes that fuels plate tectonics.
These plates are in constant motion. When they connect, volcanoes and earthquakes form.
2.
Analyze the spatial relationship and distribution that exists with these forces of nature.
Everything is located on a fault line or where two plate tectonics are colliding. Where there is pressure
being pushed against one another, either an earthquake is bound to occur or, a volcano will soon start
to emerge. In the Ring of Fire, the earth most active hot spot for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions,
there is two plates being pushed together and has started forming a ring of volcanic outlets. Hawaii
for instance did not exist years ago, but now it continues to grow each and every year because it is
being pushed upward. The earth is constantly changing and we all need to be prepared and aware of
what can and will occur.
3.
Describe what you learned about earthquakes and volcanoes that you didn’t already know.
I learned a lot of plate tectonics; the how and why volcanoes and earthquakes work. I learned
of the different types of earthquakes and volcanoes and how they are differ from each other. I
learned of the different lava flows. I learned the different magnitudes of the earthquakes and what
changes it from a disaster to a catastrophe.
4.
How has this shaped your worldview about natural disasters now that you have a strong
scientific understanding of the concept?
This has made me be a lot more aware of natural disasters and everything that could come
with them. I used to think that as long as I was living in Utah with the mountains, I would be fine. But
then I found out about the floods, landslides and avalanches that have happened here. It just really
opens my eyes to the world and everything that has happened that I hadn’t thought twice about until
after this class. It gives me a better understanding of my surroundings and everything that could
potentially go wrong. It helped me know how to react in those situations if I was ever in them, and it
has also given me the knowledge to lend a hand to those in need that have recently been affected by
a disaster.
Works Cited
Google Earth
http://www.platetectonics.com/book