Tectonics and Resources

A tectonic plate is a part of the earth where there is ocean or land.What occurs at plate margins?The following movements may occur at plate margins.

Tectonic plates

Destructive plate margin

Constructive plate margin

Oceanic and continental plates meet. The oceanic is heavier so it goes down. The place where they meet is called subduction zone.

Two continental plates move apart forming islands/volcanoes.

Collision plate margin Conservative plate margins

Two continental plates go up forming mountains.

When two plates move forward making a small hole where magma passes or just an earthquake.

Causes: Plate movement, volcano explosion, magma pressure. Damages: Buildings destroyed, chaos collapse, disaster, people die or become homeless, roads collapsed, bridges damaged.Preventions: Evacuation routes, resistant buildings and roads, simulations, having emergency services available, setting up warning information system.Richter Scale: A scale invented to measure the energy realased by earthqueakes.

Earthquakes

Causes: Plate movement, magma pressure, conduction zone.

Damages: Several cities destroyed, people killed, Lahar (when in a nevado lava comes out and mixes with snow it becomes water, this water comes down the mountain mixing with ash and mud), ash cause loss of oxygen, houses damaged.

Preventions: Setting up monitoring, preparing evacuation plan, training emergency services, post erruption plants.

Shapes: Shield volcanoes, which are broad and flat, are less destructive than composite volcanoes, which are cone shaped.

Volcanoes

Causes: Earthquakes near water, magma pressure, big waves, destructive ,margins.

Damages: Floods, houses destroyed, wildlife and humans killed.

Preventions: Evacuation routes, emergency services ready, post tsunamis plans.

Tsunamis

Why do people live in active areas? Taken from case study, earthquake in Merapi

Near volcanoes there is usually fertile soil, heat from the earth usually works for geothermal enery and make geysers for tourism, being one of the most important advantage, tourism also develops in people wanting to climb volcanos and lots of excursions and expeditions.

Active areas

Resources

Natural resources are things that we can use and are not man made.

Types of resources: Renewable: can be replaced in a short period of time. Non-renewable: can’t be replaced. Re-usable: can be used many times. Recyclable: can be changed in form and used again. Sustainable: renewable resources than can disappear

if we don’t look for it. Sustainability: how we use resources and care for the

enviroment.

Natural resources

Uses: Electricity: machines, communication, light,

education, etc. Transport: tourism, trade,etc.

Energy :)

Uses: drinking, washing, transport, trade, entertainment, food, agriculture, electricity.

Problems: Waste, contamination, enviromental damage, diseases, floods, drought, wars, conflict.

Solutions: Clean water, save/reuse water, distribute water, canals, better planning.

Water

Uses: Eat, biomass. Problems: Bad diet, because of biofuels it

gets more expensive, bad distribution, desertification.

Solutions: For desertification: crop rotation, move animals around, fertilizers, compost, water.

Food

Types: human and animal waste and trash waste.

Uses: Animal waste is used as landfill gas (energy). Trash waste is often recycled.

Waste

Energy: 70% of electricity is hydroelectric, it produces lots of fossil fuels, renewable, clean and cheap energy.

Water: Used for hydroelectricity. Problems: Hydroelectricity doesn’t produce

as much energy as fossil fuels.

Colombia