NAME__________________________
Class_____________________________
Using this book:
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This topic will take you 3 lessons and 3 homework tasks to complete.
There is a checklist on page 2.
For each learning objective there are notes, activities and exam hints.
There are also quick fire questions for your teacher to ask you.
Class tasks and homework tasks are labelled.
You should look over the work after the lesson to recap what you have done.
Teacher check: Ask your teacher to check your work. They will tick it and may
leave a comment.
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Learning Objectives
I have looked at it

I have revised it well

I really know it

To know how to
describe.
To know how to
explain.
To describe and
explain the
distribution of
earthquakes.
To know and
compare two ways
of measuring
earthquakes.
To describe the
characteristics of the
focus and epicentre
of an earthquake.
To explain why
people continue to
live in areas of
volcanic and
earthquake activity.
To describe and
explain the causes
and effects of a
named volcanic
eruption OR
earthquake.
To explain how we
can reduce the
impacts of BOTH
volcanic eruptions
and earthquakes
through prediction
and prevention.
Tick the column when you have looked at the topic and revised the topic. If you
think you know the topic really well, ask your teacher to test you using the quick fire
questions.
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LO: To know how to describe. To know how to explain
Describe = Say what is there, what it looks like, where things are. E.g. volcanoes
are found in Iceland.
Explain = say why or how something happens. E.g. why are volcanoes found
where they are?
Choose two colours. Shade in the parts of the sentence below that describe in one
colour and the parts that explain in another colour:
There are many volcanoes around the Pacific Rim and in the Atlantic Ocean. They
occur here because two plates are meeting. This is a plate boundary.
1. True or false? Describe says why something happens.
2. True or false? ‘Two plates mover together causing an
earthquake’ is a description.
3. Give an example of a description.
LO: To be able to DESCRIBE and EXPLAIN the distribution of earthquakes and
volcanoes.
Linear band of
earthquakes and
volcanoes down
the centre of the
Atlantic.
Occur in
bands
DESCRIBE
Band around the edge
of the continent Africa
and the west coast of
North and South
America.
Very prominent around
the Pacific Ocean
(Pacific Rim) known as
the ‘Ring of Fire’.
Mostly occur at plate
boundaries (where two or
more plates meet). Some
volcanoes and earthquakes
can happen in the middle of
a plate.
The crust (lithosphere) is
Theremade
are two
types
of
up of
11 major
EXPLAIN
plates and several
smaller ones. These are
pushing against, sliding
past and pulling away
from each other all the
time.
3
Convection currents in
the mantle cause the
plates to move.
There are two types of plate although some can be a mixture of both:
1) Continental: thick but low in density. They have mostly land on top. E.g. Eurasian plate
2) Oceanic: thin but are very dense. They have ocean on top. E.g. Pacific plate
Plates can move towards each other, away from each other or past each other.
1) Plates that move towards each other
Plates that move together are called CONVERGENT. They can be destructive or collision
boundaries.
Collision
Collision Profile
Collision Process
1) Convection currents in the
crust cause the plates to
move towards each other
2) The continental plates are
less dense and so both are
pushed upwards
Plates: Two continental
e.g. Himalayas (Eurasion and Indo-Australian).
Features/characteristics:
-
Earthquakes
No volcanoes as there is no subduction
so no magma rising.
Fold mountains
Destructive
Destructive Profile
Destructive Process
Plates: Two Oceanic or an oceanic
meeting a continental
1) Convection currents in the
mantle cause the plates to
move towards each other.
2) The denser oceanic plate
subducts under the continental
plate.
3) Melt from the subduction zone
rises. The gases and magma
cause pressure to build.
4) Magma is forced through
weaknesses in the crust
e.g. Oceanic to Oceanic: Pacific
subducted under Phillipines. Oceanic
to continental: Nazca subducted
under the South American plate.
1)
Features/characteristics:
 Explosive volcanoes
 Earthquakes
 Volcanic Arc (line of volcanoes)
when continental to oceanic.
 Ocean trench
 Volcanic islands (Island arc)
(oceanic to oceanic).
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2) Plates that move apart from each other are DIVERGENT. (Constructive).
Divergent Profile
Divergent Process
Plates: Oceanic to oceanic or
continental to continental.
1) Pressure caused by the
plates moving apart create
fractures/fissues in the
rock (imagine someone
pulling your arm from both
ends. It would break
eventually!).
2) Magma rises due to
convection currents and
fills the fractures.
3) Magma breaks through
and new land is created.
4) This land builds up over
time to create volcanic
islands.
e.g. Iceland - Mid Atlantic ridge
(Ocean to Ocean). The North
American Plate is pulling away from
the Eurasian plate causing the
Atlantic to widen by about 3cm a
year. African Rift valley
(Continental to continental).
Features/characteristics:
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Volcanic Islands
Mid oceanic ridge
New land
Rift valley
Shallow earthquakes
Effusive volcanoes
3) Plates that slide past each other are CONSERVATIVE
Conservative Process
Conservative Profile
Plates: Two continental
1) Two plates slide past
each other.
2) Extreme stress builds
up in the crust.
3) When this pressure
is released an
Earthquake occurs.
4) No volcanoes
happen here as
there is no
subduction and no
magma rising.
e.g. Pacific and North American
Plate. (San Andreas Fault).
Features/characteristics:
 Earthquakes
Gfg
Sometimes we get earthquakes and volcanoes in the middle of plates.
1) Earthquakes
Earthquakes can happen in the middle of the plate as there are many fractures and faults. After a
while the tension is released leading to an earthquake.
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2) Volcanoes
Volcanoes can occur at hotspots.
Direction of plate movement
Hotspot Profile
Hotspot Process
Plates: Mid plate, not at a boundary.
Very high temperature magma rises
from the mantle.
e.g. Hawaii
3) Where there is a weakness or thin
crust, the magma breaks through. This
forms volcanoes.
Features/characteristics:
 Volcanic Islands
 Volcanoes
 Sea Mounts
 Atoll (coral forms around a volcanic
island and grows upwards. When the
island subsides (sinks) a lagoon is left
surrounded by coral. (An atoll).
4) As the plate moves across the
hotspot more volcanoes are formed.
5) Eventually the volcano erupts
above the surface and creates an
island.
1) 5) Older islands are eroded
and become smaller..
Any question that asks you how something is formed will be an EXPLAIN
question. The examiner is expecting you to say why something has
happened. You will be talking about a process that happens in a
sequence (in the right order).
All formation questions are marked in the same way. This is the mark
scheme used by the examiner.
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
Maximum of 2 marks for descriptive
points.

Credit all explanations at 1 mark each.
If you say what happens but not why you will only get 2
marks!
This is the why bit!
This is the ‘why’ bit.
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Maximum 3 marks without a mention
of process
Full sequence required for full marks.
This is the way a landform is created. You must name the
process e.g.subduction.
This means you don’t miss any bits out. You give them the
whole process.
Try to mark an answer
Study the answer below written by Maggie for the 4 mark question.
Q: Explain how volcanoes form at destructive plate boundaries 4 marks
A: The denser oceanic plate is pushed under the continental plate into the mantle where it melts.
Magma is then forced up through the cracks to form a volcano.
__ /4
1) In the box, write down how many marks you would give it out of 4 using the mark scheme above.
To get full marks
Maggie needs to
explain more.
What is the
area of
melting
called?
She needs to
say WHY the
plate melts.
Write an answer under timed conditions. You should give yourself 8 minutes for this type of
question. You have time to think!
Q: Explain how volcanoes form at divergent plate boundaries. (4 marks)
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Make sure that for each type of plate boundary and hotspots, you can draw,
annotate and explain the formation of volcanoes and earthquakes.
Landform identification question
Study the
yourself 1
question.
question below. Answer it under timed conditions. You should give
minute for this type of
Name
in the
table below. 2 marks
landforms X and Y shown
diagram. Complete the
It is 2 marks
so, 1 mark
per answer.
Landform
X
y
Name of landform
Characteristics of plate boundaries. – complete the characteristics table
Divergent (they
move away from
each other)
Conservative (they
√
√
Continental and
continental
(collision)
Oceanic and
oceanic
Oceanic and
oceanic
Continental and
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√
Notes
√
Example
(case study)
Subduction
√
Islands
Fold
Mountains
Ocean
Trench
Ocean Ridge
Oceanic and
continental
(destructive)
Volcano
Convergent (they
move towards each
other)
Plates
Diagram
Type of plate
boundary
Earthquake
Put a tick in the box if the landform is present at the different plate boundary types. Then have a
go at the ‘outline the characteristics’ question below.
Nazca
subducted
under
N.American
Powerful
earthquakes
and
volcanoes
move along side
each other)
continental
Can you describe the characteristics at each of the plate boundaries?
Make sure you read the question. What is it asking you to do? How many marks
is it worth?
Q: Outline the
only an annotated
expecting you to
paragraph, the
characteristic features of a conservative plate boundary. Use
diagram in your answer. (This means the examiner is
draw an annotated diagram. If you write a separate
examiner will ignore it).
3 marks
1) The volcano Kilauea which erupted in 2010 is
found in the middle of the Pacific Plate. What
type of volcano is this?
2) Name two characteristics you might find at a
convergent plate boundary.
3) Explain why volcanoes don’t occur at
conservative plate boundaries.
4) What causes the plates to move?
5) Name a plate boundary type that produces
volcanic islands.
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LO: To know and compare two ways of measuring earthquakes.
Richter Scale
Measures the magnitude
Measures the energy released in the form
of the seismic waves
Measured by a seismometer
No upper limit of the scale
Logarithmic ( 10 is ten times worse than 9, 9
is ten times worse than 8 and so on)
Mercalli Scale
Measures the effects of the
earthquake
Uses roman numerals on a scale of
one to twelve.
People’s interpretations of the
damage.
Q: Outline the differences between the Mercalli and the Richter scales (3marks)
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It’s a 3 mark
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answer.
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Make sure
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you compare
3 things!
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LO: To describe the characteristics of the focus and epicentre of an earthquake.
If you get question that asks you to cross a box, make sure you draw the cross in the space
provided. Also, check how many boxes the question wants you to choose!
Complete the table below which describes the characteristics of an earthquake’s
focus and epicentre. You should name two characteristics for each.
Characteristic 1
Focus
Epicentre
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Characteristic 2
LO: To explain why people continue to live in areas of volcanic and earthquake activity.
The examiner will always be impressed if you can use named examples in your
answers. Not just a country, but a specific place. Use the ‘Have a go’ task below to
learn some for the topic you have just done.
Named Example
Reason why people still live
there
The region around Naples, Italy, is a huge wine
growing area sited on volcanic ash form Vesuvius.
Mount Etna, Sicily, attracts thousands of tourists
who travel up in a cable car.
In Iceland, electricity is very cheap.
People choose to live in California because of the
beaches climate, despite the many earthquakes.
Some people in HICs choose to live there because they are confident that the management of
earthquakes and volcanoes in the area is good. E.g. Japan.
Q: Do you think this is more likely to be an HIC or an LIC?
A:______________
Why?_________________________________________________________________________
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Read the answer above to the question about why people live near volcanoes. It scored 3 marks in
the exam. How could they make this a 4 mark answer? Think about the exam tip given to you
earlier. Rewrite the answer to make it 4 marks.
Improved answer:
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You need to know the difference between environmental, economic and social Test your
knowledge by writing in a reason for each category.
Reason people live in tectonic areas.
Environmental
Economic
Social
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name two ways of measuring earthquakes.
What does the richter scale measure?
Which method uses a logarithmic scale?
Describe 2 characteristics of the focus of an earthquake.
Explain two economic reasons people might leave in tectonically active areas.
LO: To describe and explain the causes and effects of a named volcanic eruption OR earthquake.
This is the CASE STUDY question in the exam. It means that you have to know the example you
use in detail. The examiner will be looking for SPECIFIC detail. E.g.
General answer: the volcanic eruption caused a lava flow which killed hundreds of people.
Specific case study: When Chances Peak volcano erupted on the island of Montserrat in 1997, a
pyroclasitic flow killed 19 people.
You need to know the following with SPECIFIC detail.
1) The facts (where, when)
2) The causes (How and why)
3) The Effects (on people, the environment and economy
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Complete the case study card below for the eruption in Montserrat. You should also make onne for the
Trkey earthquake. Pp112-113 TG.
Name of case
study
Location
Volcano Name
Date it erupted
Plates involved
Explanation of
cause
Explain the causes and effects of a volcanic eruption.
Effect on people
1) Some unauthorised people in the exclusion zone set up in 1995 were killed
as they thought they would hear a warning. They were too far away and
they didn’t hear the volcano erupting. They were caught unawares.
2) 19 people (mostly farmers) were killed by pyroclastic flows. They were
producing food for evacuees. The fertile land is in the south where the
volcano erupted. They stayed there because they thought they were
helping their country.
3) The villages of Farm and Trant were completely buried or burned by ash
flow deposits.
4) 7,000 people were evacuated to Antigua, the UK and the USA.
Use page 118 of TG to find 5 specific impacts on the environment.
Effects on the
environment
Montserrat
1) Montserrat is a volcanic island on a _______________plate
boundary.
2) The North American plate is being subducted under the
_______________ plate because it is _______.
3) Convection ____________ pull the N.American plate into the
mantle where intense heat and pressure cause the plate to melt.
4) This molten rock rises through weaknesses in the _______.
5) This formed a volcano and the island of Montserrat. When it
erupted it produced a thick, sticky lava called _____________
which built up on the volcano causing the dome to collapse.
6) This caused a large ash cloud 10km high.
7) Strong winds blew the ash westwards.
8) The collapse of the dome also caused pyroclastic flows.
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Read the question and two answers below. Then use the table to mark their answers out
of 6.
Choose a volcanic eruption or earthquake you have studied. Explain the causes of the
volcanic eruption or earthquake. (6 marks)
Mark scheme:
Level
Marks
1
1-2
2
3-4
3
5-6
Description
Basic answer
Could be any
volcano/earthquake
No specific facts
Cause explained
Specific facts
Range of facts
Causes explained in detail.
Maggie’s answer
The cause of the earthquake is the plates moving. They were sliding together and causing friction. This is
called a conservative plate boundary. The earthquake destroyed houses and the rest of the buildings in
Haiti.
Pete’s answer
Montseratt is a volcanic island and in 1995 the volcano, Soufriere hills, erupted. This lead to a major
eruption in 1997 where three pyroclastic flows killed 19 people. The volcanic eruption was caused by
convection currents in the mantle forcing the plates to move. Subduction happened with the more dense
S.American plate (oceanic) being forced under the Caribbean plate, (continental). Intense heat in the
subduction zone caused the magma to rise through the weaknesses in the crust creating a volcano and the
volcanic island. This happened in 1997 causing the lava dome to collapse, triggering an eruption.
Examiner question
1 The case study used is obvious.
2 Is there anything in the answer
that convinces me that this is
the place the student has
named?
3 Does the answer describe how
the earthquake or volcanic
eruption was caused?
4 What mark shall I give it?
Student A
Student B
/6
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/6
Remember to always explain the effects, not just list them. If you are asked about
the effects on two things, e.g. people and the environment, split your answer into
two parts.
Use your case study card and knowledge to write an answer for the question below. Then ask a friend
to mark it using the mark scheme.
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Mark scheme:
Level
Marks
1
1-2
2
3-4
3
5-6
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Description
Simple descriptive
statements.
Could be anywhere.
Explanation of effect
Specific points
People and the environment
Range of points (3-4)
Clear explanation of points
Good range of different
points.
How people have had to
manage the impact.
1) Name the plates involved in the Montserrat
eruption.
2) What type of plate boundary is it?
3) What caused the damage?
4) Explain two environmental impacts.
5) Explain two impacts on people.
LO: To explain how we can reduce the impacts of BOTH volcanic eruptions and earthquakes
through prediction and prevention.
You have to know SPECIFIC examples and how they work.
On the next page, colour in the boxes 3 colours.
Colour 1: Applies to volcanoes
Colour 2: Applies to Earthquakes
Colour 3: Applies to both.
Then have a go at answering the exam question below.
Question: Explain how the effects of earthquakes can be reduced through forecasting and building
design (6 marks)
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Look at the answer written below to the same question you have just answered. Mark it out of 6
using the mark scheme. Then go back and improve your answer.
Mark /6
6) What do we mean by the term prediction?
7) Explain one way of reducing the impact of an
earthquake.
8) Explain a way we can predict volcanoes.
9) Explain a way building design can reduce the impact
of earthquakes.
10) Explain a way we can reduce the impact of a
volcano.
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