Natural Hazards Unit

Topic Key Points Case Studies/Examples

1. Structure of Know how and why plates move: Pages 262-263
the Earth  Structure of the Earth – Crust (solid), mantle (liquid),
outer core (liquid), inner core (solid).
 Key rules – Temperature & pressure increase with depth.
 Convectional currents in the mantle cause plates to move
and interact at plate boundaries.

2. Plate There are 4 types of plate margin. You must be able to sketch, Pages 264-265
Boundaries annotate and describe all of the following:
and Margins  Constructive Margin – When two plates, usually oceanic,
move away from each other. Magma quickly rises to the
surface to form new oceanic crust. This can be known as
sea-floor spreading.
 Destructive Margins – Where plates of two different
densities e.g. an oceanic crust of less density moves towards
a heavier continental crust. This creates a subduction zone,
where the oceanic plate is forced down causing it to melt,
and creating friction.
 Collision Margin – Two continental crusts move towards
each other causing them to push upwards and form fold
mountains.
 Conservative Margin – Two plates slide past each other.
No volcanic activity but large friction build up which can
cause strong earthquakes.
3. Volcanoes & Know the basic theory of both hazards:
Earthquakes  Volcanoes:
 Short term effects: Ash cloud, volcanic bombs, lava flow,
lahars, sulphur, pyroclastic flow.
 Long term effects: Deforestation, loss of habitat, pollution,
homelessness, habitat destruction, insurance issues, loss of
infrastructure.

Make sure you can label a volcano diagram, and be able to

describe the effects above.

 Earthquakes:
 Short term effects: Buildings collapse, death, damage to
infrastructure.
 Long term effects: People trapped, homelessness, cost of
cleanup, tsunami?

Make sure you can use words like friction, epicentre, focus and
seismic waves in your descriptions.

4. Volcano Case You must have an LEDC & MEDC case study:
Studies
For each:
 Know key dates, figures & statistics e.g. when it erupted,
how many times it erupted.
 Be able to describe the impacts in detail. If you can, class
them into environmental, economic and social.
 For some case studies it will be easy to class into short term
and long term impacts.
 Know how the volcano was caused e.g. what plates were
 involved, what type of boundary etc.

Also – Know and understand why people live so close to

volcanoes. Use page 269 if you are unsure.

5. Earthquake You must have an LEDC & MEDC case study:

Case studies
For each:
 Know key dates, figures & statistics e.g. when it occurred,
how many times it happened. Aftershocks?
 Be able to describe the impacts in detail. If you can, class
them into environmental, economic and social.
 For some case studies it will be easy to class into short term
and long term impacts.

Know how the earthquake was caused e.g. what plates were
involved, what type of boundary etc.

For earthquakes, you should be able to explain WHY there was far
more death and destruction in your LEDC case study. The two
case studies for China and Kobe (pages 270-273) are very good at
showing this.