
1.4C Impacts of Tectonic Hazards
- social - deaths, injury and wider health impacts including psychological ones
- economic - the loss of property, businesses, infrastructure and opportunity
- environmental - damage or destruction of physical systems, especially ecosystems
Why are some areas more prone to tectonic hazards?
Why are some countries more prone to natural disasters than others? The earth's lithosphere is cracked into a number of large rigid slabs called plates. Where these plates meet is the plate boundary. The plates move, floating on the soft rock, beneath the lithosphere. At plate boundries earthquakes and volcanoes are much more likely to occur.
Why do people live near tectonic hazards?
Why live in tectonic areas?
- Some settlements have grown into enormous cities and would be hard to move anywhere else
- Some places are well prepared for hazards so people feel safe
- A good job and way of life may keep you in a danger zone
What does tectonic hazards mean?
Tectonic hazards are hazard events caused by tectonic plates colliding into each other, moving against each other, moving apart or subduction between a less dense plate and a more dense plate. Volcanoes - these occur when hot magma is forced to the Earth's surface through fissures and cracks in the Earth's crust.
What is the definition of a tectonic hazard?
Tectonic hazards are threats caused by the movement of tectonic plates that have the potential to cause damage to life, property, the environment, human activity and/or the economy. Tectonic hazards include earthquakes and volcanic activity. Divergent plate margins generate low magnitude earthquakes with a shallow focus.

What are the effects of tectonic activity?
Tectonic processes cause the movement of land and earthquakes. This heat drives plate tectonics and parts of the rock cycle. Where humans can live can be affected by volcanic events, sea level rise, and earthquakes, all of which are related to tectonic processes.
What are the 3 main tectonic hazards?
tectonic hazards what are they?Volcanoes - these occur when hot magma is forced to the Earth's surface through fissures and cracks in the Earth's crust.Earthquakes - these most commonly occur when two tectonic plates move against each other. ... Tsunamis - caused by the rapid displacement of water.More items...
What are the impacts and responses to tectonic hazards?
Long-term responses to tectonic hazards Long term responses to tectonic hazards include: Rebuilding and repairing properties. Rebuilding and repairing transport infrastructure. Improving building regulations.
How are tectonic disasters affecting more people?
Economic losses from tectonic disasters continues to rise. More people, who are more affluent, have more property to lose. This is increasingly true in emerging countries as well as developed ones. Volcanic disasters are much less frequent than earthquake ones and deaths from eruptions are now rare.
What are examples of tectonic hazards?
What are some examples of tectonic hazards? Examples of tectonic hazards include earthquakes and volcanic activity, which can lead to secondary hazards such as tsunamis and landslides.
How are tectonic hazards caused?
Tectonic hazards occur when the Earth's crust moves. For example, when the plates move, friction can cause them to become stuck. Tension builds until the plates release, which leads to an earthquake. Climatic hazards occur when a region has certain weather conditions, for example heavy rainfall can lead to flooding.
What are the primary and secondary effects of a tectonic hazard?
Primary effects occur as a direct result of the ground shaking, eg buildings collapsing. Secondary effects occur as a result of the primary effects, eg tsunamis or fires due to ruptured gas mains.
Why are the effects of a tectonic hazard greater in a urban location?
Rural/Urban area: Rural areas have fewer people and fewer buildings so the size of the disaster is smaller. Distance from the epicentre: The closer a town or city is from the epicentre the more damage will be caused because of the strong seismic waves.
What are some long term effects of earthquakes?
Previous studies show significant increases during months when natural disasters occur in the incidence of cardiovascular disease, including angina pectoris, stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and aortic dissection [5–7], and these diseases increase 1.5- to 3-fold after earthquakes [8].
Why do tectonic hazards affect some places more than others?
Some places are more VULNERABLE to natural hazards and some places have a lower CAPACITY TO COPE as they have weaker infrastructure, poor government organisations and agencies (such as the army, or police) or low quality equipment.
How do you manage tectonic hazards?
ProtectionRubber shock absorbers in the foundations to absorb the earth tremors.Steel frames that can sway during earth movements.Open areas outside of the buildings where people can assemble during an evacuation.Low cost methods, such as wire mesh retrofitting , are used in rural areas and developing countries.More items...
What factors can affect hazard risk?
In this lesson, we will learn the three factors which influence hazard risk - vulnerability, capacity to cope and nature of a natural hazard.
Where are tectonic hazards found?
Distribution: Most earthquake zones are found at, or close to, tectonic plate boundaries, often in clusters. About 70% of all earthquakes are found in the 'Ring of Fire' in the Pacific Ocean. The most powerful earthquakes are associated with convergent or conservative boundaries.
Are volcanoes tectonic hazards?
Tectonic hazards include earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, as well as secondary hazards such as tsunamis. These represent a significant risk in some parts of the world in terms of loss of life, livelihoods and economic impact.
What type of hazard is located at each plate boundary?
Some of the most destructive natural hazards that occur on Earth—earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions—are associated with tectonic plate boundaries.
Is a landslide a tectonic hazard?
Earthquakes: Seismic activities have always been a main cause of landslides throughout the world. Any time plate tectonics move the soil that covers them moves with it. When earthquakes occur on areas with steep slopes, many times the soil slips causing landslides.
What are the impacts of tectonic hazards?
1.4C Impacts of Tectonic Hazards. The social and economic impacts of tectonic hazards (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunami) on the people, economy, and environment of contrasting locations in the developed, emerging and developing world. The impacts of tectonic hazards are broadly of three types: social - deaths, injury and wider health ...
What is economic tectonics?
economic - the loss of property, businesses, infrastructure and opportunity. environmental - damage or destruction of physical systems, especially ecosystems. In the last 30 years, different tectonic hazards have had contrasting impacts in terms of scale.
Why is it difficult to compare the impacts of a tsunami?
Comparing impacts between countries is difficult because both the physical nature of the event and the socio-economic profiles of affected places are different. Some general observations are:

What Are Some Examples of Tectonic Hazards?
What Are The Possible Tectonic Hazards at Different Plate Margins?
- Different types of plate margins (including divergent, convergent and conservative plate margins) are responsible for different types and magnitudes of tectonic hazards, depending on the relative direction of plate movement and types of crust.
What Is The Global Distribution of Tectonic Hazards?
- The seven major tectonic plates and their direction of movement can be seen below. Distribution of plate tectonics Image: Public domain An example of divergent plate margins is the Pacific Ring of Fire which occurs around the Pacific plate. This area contains the majority of the planet’s volcanoes, and it is also responsible for most earthquakes. An example of a conservative plate …
How Do Tectonic Hazards Cause Secondary Hazards?
- Tectonic hazards, including earthquakes and volcanic activities, can generate secondary hazards, e.g. tsunamis and landslides.