ARELLANO UNIVERSITY

S.Y. 2020-2021

Name: Vincent Garcia Score:

Grade and Section: 10-Newton Teacher:
Date:
GRADE 10 SCIENCE
I. CONTENT:
Concept Notes No.
1“Plate Tectonics”
- Distribution of Earthquake Epicenters in the World
Concept Notes No.
Earthquake – the sudden vibration, violent movement of Earth’s surface caused by a rapid release of stored
energy.
Focus – the source from which the energy is released; that is radiating to all directions.
Epicenter – the point directly above the focus

Distribution of Earthquake Epicenters in the World

Earthquake Belts
1. Circum-Pacific Belt - About 90% of the world’s earthquakes and 81% of the world’s largest
earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire.

2. Alpide Belt - the next most seismic region (5-6% of earthquakes and 17% of the world’s largest earthquakes);
It extends from Java to Sumatra through Himalayas, the Mediterranean, and out into the Atlantic. The belt
records earthquakes that are shallow 70 to 300 km from the earth’s surface. They are mostly intermediate in
origin.
3. Mid-Atlantic Ridge - the third most prominent earthquake belt. This earthquake belt runs along the
mid-ocean ridges in the Atlantic. The intensity of most of the earthquakes here is moderate
 The principal earthquake epicenter zones are located along the outer margin of the Pacific Ocean known as
the Circum-Pacific belt or Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt and through the earth’s oceans and along the oceanic
ridge system.
 Oceanic ridge is a continuous submarine mountain chain extending approximately 80,000km through all the
earth’s ocean.
 Oceanic Ridge System is a continuous underwater mountain range with parts found in every ocean of the
world.
 Ocean trenches are deep depressions in the Earth’s crust comprising the deepest part of the ocean.
e.g. Marianas Trench, Tonga Trench, and Philippine Trench
 Mid-ocean ridge is the most extensive chain of mountains on Earth, stretching nearly 65,000 kilometers (40,390
miles) and with more than 90 percent of the mountain range lying in the deep ocean.
Plate Tectonics Theory and Earthquakes
 The crust is composed of tectonic plates, and the edges of the plates are called the plate boundaries.
The plate boundaries are made up of many faults, and most of the earthquakes around the world occur
on these faults. Since the edges of the plates are rough, they get stuck while the rest of the plate keeps
moving. Finally, when the plate has moved far enough, the edges unstick on one of the faults and there
is an earthquake.
 According to the theory of plate tectonics, Earth is an active planet. Its surface is composed of many
individual plates that move and interact, constantly changing and reshaping Earth's outer layer.
Volcanoes and earthquakes both result from the movement of tectonic plates.
 Tectonic earthquakes occur at plate tectonic boundaries. Tectonic plates are constantly moving slowly,
but sometimes friction between them causes them lock together and become unable to move. The waves
of released energy move through the Earth's crust and cause the shaking we feel at an earthquake site.
 II. OBJECTIVES:
A. Define: earthquake; focus; and epicenter;
B. Describe the distribution of earthquake epicenters in the world;
C. Identify the different earthquake belts in the world;
D. Relate the distribution of earthquake epicenters to Plate Tectonics Theory.

III. ASSESSMENT:
Activity No.1.1
Write the letter of the correct answer on the space provided for.
A 1. Which term is used to refer to the sudden motion of the earth’s crust due to the release of a
tremendous amount of energy in the rocks?
a. earthquake c. trenching
b. tectonics d. volcanism
B 2. In which belt do most of the great earthquakes of the world occur?
a. Alpide Belt c. Mid-Atlantic Belt
b. Circum-Pacific Belt d. Mid-Continental Belt
b 3. Which is a continuous submarine mountain chain extending approximately 80,000km through all the
earth’s ocean?
a. earthquake belt c. mountain range
b. oceanic ridge d. trench
c 4. Which are deep depressions in the Earth’s crust comprising the deepest part of the ocean?
a. guyots c. trenches
b. ridges d. volcanic arcs
a 5. Which belt records earthquakes that are shallow -70 to 300 km from the earth’s surface?
a. Alpide Belt c. Mid-Atlantic Belt
b. Circum-Pacific Belt d. Mid-Continental Belt

Activity No.1.2
Explain/Discuss your answer for each of the following.
1. What is the difference between the focus and the epicenter?
Epicenter only occurs in a specific area and focus does the same but it radiates.
2. Why does the Philippines experience a lot of earthquakes?
The Philippines is situated in the pacific ring of fire, hence the earthquakes.
3. How are earthquake epicenters distributed in the world?

4. How are earthquakes being related to plate tectonics?

5. In relation to Plate Tectonics, what causes earthquakes and when do they happen?
Since the edges of the plates are rough, they get stuck while the rest of the plate keeps moving.
IV. REFERENCE: Gregorio, Jay B.et al. 2018.Practical Science 10, .Diwa Learning Systems, Inc., pp.27-
34

V. GENERALIZATION:
Earthquake is the sudden vibration, violent movement of Earth’s surface caused by a rapid release of stored
energy.
Focus or hypocenter is the source from which the energy is released while the epicenter is the point directly
above the focus.
The distribution of earthquake epicenters in the world can be described by the earthquake belts. Historical
records show that earthquakes occur following the same general patterns year after year in three large zones of the
earth: the Circum-Pacific, the Alpide, and the Mid-Atlantic belts.
Earthquake epicenters are not specifically distributed on earth. They are most common at the ocean ridges
and beside trenches.
The distribution of earthquakes can be related to Plate Tectonics. According to the theory of plate tectonics,
Earth is an active planet. Its surface is composed of many individual plates that move and interact. Earthquakes
result from the movement of tectonic plates. Tectonic earthquakes occur at plate tectonic boundaries.

VI.INSTITUTIONAL CORE VALUES: Equity and Stewardship