Map Reading and Earthquake/Volcano
Plotting Activity
The next slide shows a picture of a map
with earthquake and volcano data plotted, it
has a little more data than you plotted.
1. Observe the pattern of earthquakes and
volcanoes over the surface of the Earth. Are
they scattered at random or are they
concentrated in certain areas?
The earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated
in certain areas, the west coasts of North and
South America, the border between Europe
and Africa and in the islands of the Pacific.
Any random earthquakes and volcanoes could be
associated with hotspots or faults (cracks) in
the crust.
2. Look at the map of tectonic plates that you made in
class. Do you see any relationship between the map you
created today and map of tectonic plates. What does
that relationship seem to be?
The relationship shows that earthquakes and volcanoes
tend to appear at plate boundaries.
Transform=earthquakes
Convergent O-O=earthquakes & volcanoes*
O-C=earthquakes & volcanoes*
*subduction zones
C-C=earthquakes & mountain building
Divergent O-O= volcanoes at mid-ocean ridges
C-C=earthquakes at rift valleys
3. Is there a correlation between tectonic plate
boundaries and earthquakes and volcanoes?
What do you think that correlation is?
It appears that earthquakes and volcanoes seem
to be concentrated at plate boundaries.
4. Is there a correlation between plate movement
and the location of the earthquakes and
volcanoes? What do you think that correlation
is?
Yes, there is a correlation between plate
movement and earthquakes and volcanoes. All
three types of plate movements result in or are
associated with different geological events.
5. What kind of plate movement lends itself to
earthquakes and volcanoes? Do the maps
support this? Explain.
Transform/sliding boundaries are associated with
earthquakes. Convergent/colliding boundaries
and divergent/dividing boundaries are
associated with both earthquakes and
volcanoes.
6. Do you think, given the data you plotted and the
tectonic plate map, that you could predict the
location of future earthquakes and volcanoes?
YES…..tell me why?
FYISeismologist-studies earthquakes
Vulcanologist-studies volcanoes
7. The area where you plotted the concentration of earthquakes and volcanoes
is called “The Ring of Fire.” How do you think the area got that name?
FYI-this area accounts for 90% of the world’s earthquakes.