What are two bad things that can happen as a result of plate tectonics
Tectonics
Tectonics is concerned with the processes which control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust, and its evolution through time. In particular, it describes the processes of mountain building, the growth and behavior of the strong, old cores of continents known as cratons, and the ways in which the relatively rigid plates that comprise the Earth's outer shell interact with each other.
How do tectonic plates affect natural disasters?
While the movement of tectonic plates is usually slow—typically just a few centimeters per year—plate tectonics are linked to several kinds of natural disasters, namely earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. On the afternoon of March 11, 2011, a large earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan.
Is plate tectonics always a slow process?
The movement of plate tectonics is not always a slow process. At times it can be fast and violent, causing natural disasters, like the Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, also called Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tohoku Earthquake. layer in Earth's mantle between the lithosphere (above) and the upper mantle (below).
How do tectonic plates interact with each other?
These pieces, known as tectonic plates, are giant sections of Earth’s crust whose edges interact with one another by either colliding or moving apart. The plates of the lithosphere float on top of the malleable asthenosphere in Earth’s interior.
What type of plate movement caused the 2011 Japan earthquake?
On the afternoon of March 11, 2011, a large earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan. This event, which would prove to be deadly, was caused by a specific type of plate movement: subduction. Subduction occurs when one tectonic plate-the one that is older and denser-sinks or is pulled under another tectonic plate.
What are the bad things that can happen as a result of plate tectonics?
What are the three types of convergent plate boundaries?
How did the mountains form?
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What type of plate movement caused the 2011 earthquake?
This event, which would prove to be deadly, was caused by a specific type of plate movement: subduction. Subduction occurs when one tectonic plate—the one that is older and denser—sinks or is pulled under another tectonic plate. This process does not proceed smoothly, however—tectonic plates can shift and grind against each other, snagging on each other due to friction. Once plates overcome this friction and move past each other, the energy released leads to earthquakes. Near Japan, the Pacific Plate is subducting under the North American Plate. Although it may seem impossible, parts of Japan actually sit above a portion of the North American Plate.
How did the tsunami affect the nuclear power plant?
The tsunami also crippled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant near Sendai, Japan. Ocean waves caused flooding that cut off the plant’s electrical power, making it impossible to cool the plant’s nuclear reactors. As a consequence, three of the plant’s four reactors overheated, causing the uranium fuel rods to liquefy. The melted rods burned through the steel walls meant to contain them, releasing uranium and other radioactive materials into the air and sea. The airborne radioactive particles blanketed houses, crops, and schools. Over 100,000 people were forced to evacuate from their homes. The Japanese government expected to spend the equivalent of more than 200 billion U.S. dollars (and perhaps as much as 600 billion dollars) cleaning up radioactive contamination and dismantling the power station, a task that could take 30 years or more. A lot has been accomplished already, however: 1,500 fuel rods from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have been removed and radioactive topsoil and vegetation from the surrounding area have been placed in bags for long-term storage.
What is the movement of the Earth's crust?
Earth’s surface may look solid—after all, we walk on it and construct buildings on it—but in fact it is a constantly moving puzzle of interlocking pieces. These pieces, known as tectonic plates, are giant sections of Earth’s crust whose edges interact with one another by either colliding or moving apart. The plates of the lithosphere float on top of the malleable asthenosphere in Earth’s interior. The movement of these plates is called plate tectonics, and scientists have studied this field since the 1950s. While the movement of tectonic plates is usually slow—typically just a few centimeters per year—plate tectonics are linked to several kinds of natural disasters, namely earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.
What plate was hit hardest by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake?
In the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake—so named for the part of northeastern Japan that was struck hardest by the quake—a submerged section of the North American plate jolted upward in the Japan Trench. This undersea valley is located roughly 130 kilometers (81 miles) from the main island of Japan. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake produced by the upward movement of this plate—one of the most powerful quakes in recorded history—hoisted a wall of seawater.
How can scientists predict earthquakes?
By installing sensors capable of measuring ground movements, researchers can monitor earthquakes, even tiny ones, worldwide. This data allows scientists to assemble global maps of earthquakes to look for patterns in their locations. Researchers have also placed buoys in the ocean to detect tsunami waves traveling toward land. Detecting a tsunami before it floods a shoreline and issuing an alert can save many lives.
How many people died in the 2011 tsunami?
The water rushed inland in a great flood, carrying with it ships, sweeping away cars, and destroying buildings. About 20,000 people were killed. Images captured on the day of the earthquake, as well as the days that followed, revealed a shattered landscape full of debris. The environmental impact of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been enormous; researchers studying soil samples have detected pollution from industrial chemicals and pesticides that leaked from the wreckage. That is not surprising given the amount of destruction caused by the disaster: oil refineries in flames, sewer and gas lines broken, and chemical plants damaged.
What causes ocean waves?
ocean waves triggered by an earthquake, volcano, or other movement of the ocean floor.
What are the bad things that can happen as a result of plate tectonics?
Two bad things that can happen as a result of plate tectonics are: volcanoes and earthquakes. 13. What are three good things that plate tectonics provide for humans, how do plate tectonics provide these things? Three good things that plate tectonics provide for humans are: fertile soils, ore deposits and fossil fuels.
What are the three types of convergent plate boundaries?
The three different types of convergent plate boundaries are: divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries and transform boundaries. 7. Give an example of a location on Earth where each type of convergent plate boundaries occurs.
How did the mountains form?
The mountains were formed by the motion of the plates and they could produce earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis .... The convection currents cause that plate tectonics can separate because 200 million years ago there was a large continent called “Pangaea” and an enormous ocean Panthalassa. Comments.
