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ERTH2415 Midterm Study Guide
Chapter 1 - Introduction
• Processes – Internal vs. external
• Population increase, linear or exponential?
• Relationship between population increase and number of potential catastrophes
• Relationship between GNP, fatalities and economic losses from catastrophes
• Understanding natural processes as hazards
• Hazard vs. disaster vs. catastrophe
• 2010 Haiti earthquake
• Natural Hazards and the geologic cycle + subcycles
• Magnitude and frequency of hazardous events
Chapter 2 - Structure of the Earth and Plate Tectonics
• Origin of the sun and earth
• Internal structure of the earth
• Material deformation
• Isostasy and heat transfer
• How do we infer the structure of the Earth?
• Oceanic crust/lithosphere vs. continental crust/lithosphere
• Earth’s plates and continental drift
• Plate tectonic theory & the tectonic cycle
• Characteristics of the types of plate boundaries
• Plate movement
• Associated stresses at each plate boundary
• Plate boundary motion and velocity
• Supporting evidence for plate tectonics
• How plate tectonics works
Chapter 3 - Earthquakes
• Where do earthquakes occur?
• Faults: dip-slip faults (normal, reverse) and strike-slip faults (transform)
• Associated stresses and tectonic regions for each fault type
• Elastic rebound theory & the Earthquake cycle
• Different types of seismic waves
• Measuring seismic waves and locating an earthquake
• Different scales for measuring an earthquake’s size and energy
o How does ground motion and energy release increase with each increase in magnitude?
• Factors affecting intensity
• Earthquake effects
• Geographic regions at risk
• Plate tectonics and earthquakes
• Earthquake hazard reduction & seismic risk
• Ex. Cascadia Subduction Zone, Tohoku, Sumatra, Chile, Mexico City
Chapter 4 - Tsunamis
• Definition and causes of a tsunami
• What determines the velocity of a tsunami
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• Characteristics of waves
• Most common locations/oceans for tsunami
• Regions at risk for tsunami
• Relationship to plate tectonics
• Case studies
• Minimizing tsunami hazard
Chapter 5 - Volcanoes
• Classification of igneous rocks and magma + properties
• How and where magma forms
• Relationship between viscosity, volatiles, lava composition, eruption style, volcano landform,
eruption type
• Know some volcanoes (by name) and their relationship to plate tectonics, lava type, volcano type,
eruption style
• Which lava types do you find at each plate boundary and at hot spots?
• Where do most eruptions occur?
• Magma, Volcano characteristics
• What is viscosity?
• Types of melting, where they occur
• Caldera vs. crater
• Geographic regions at risk from volcanoes
• Tectonics and volcanism
• Effects of volcanoes
• Volcanic hazards, which are most dangerous/devastating
• Ex. Mount St. Helens, Iceland, etc.
• Links between volcanoes and other hazards + natural service functions
• Forecasting