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6th Grade Science Chapter 1: Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Terms in this set (51)

Main parts of the earth

-Core
• Inner core
• Outer Core
- Mantle
-Crust

the crust and upper area of the mantle

float on the partly melted rock in the earth's mantle

Theory of Plate Tectonics

the idea that the earth's crust is made up of moving plates

Plate boundaries

places where the boundaries meet.

A single large landmass that scientists believe the earth could have been at one time

an event that occurs when rocks along the plate boundaries shift suddenly and release their stored energy

breaks in the earth's surface along which rock can move

Thrust (reverse) fault

occurs where rocks push together until they force a section of rock upward (example - Himalaya Mountains in Asia)

As rocks move apart, a section of rock may fall between the separating rocks. (example - Great Rift Valley in Africa)

Strike-slip fault

occurs as rocks move horizontally past each other (example - San Andreas Fault in California)

beginning point of an earthquake

vibrations that flow out from the focus of an earthquake

the point on the surface of the earth directly above the focus

seismic waves that occur beneath the surface of the earth

P waves (primary waves)

*type of body wave
*move quickly through both the solid and liquid material in the earth's interior
*can be felt on the side of the earth opposite from the focus of an earthquake)

S waves (secondary waves)

*type of body wave
*move more slowly
*cannot move through the liquid material in the earth

scientists who study the movement of the earth

slowest moving and most destructive waves on the surface of the earth
-Love waves and Rayleigh waves

machine used to detect, time, and measure the movements of the earth

based on the amount of destruction that an earthquake causes to manmade structures

measures the magnitude, or strength of the seismic waves of an earthquake

the amount of energy released from an earthquake

Building for Earthquakes

-Foundation
-Building materials
-Design

a series of giant waves caused by an earthquake, volcano, or landslide occurring under or near the ocean

Volcanic eruptions

Mount St. Helen in Washington (1980)

molten rock and gases beneath the earth's surface

a crack in the earth's crust through which magma and gases come to the surface

scientists who study volcanoes

pockets of molten rock deep in the earth's lithosphere

magma that has broken through the surface of the earth

Locations of Volcanoes

1. Ring of Fire - the ring of volcanoes found in an area around the Pacific Ocean
2. Mediterranean Sea (Mount Etna)
3. Underwater - called submarine eruptions and are 20 times more frequent than eruptions on land

places where a pool of intensely hot magma rises toward the surface

-has gradually sloping sides and looks like upside-down saucers
-generally not explosive

Cinder cone volcano

-resembles a hill more than a mountain
-has a bowl-like crater at the top and usually contains one main vent
-eruption tends to be explosive
-showers bits of ash and lava, called cinder, into the air

Composite cone volcano

-large, symmetrical, cone-shaped
-has steep sides that can measure several thousands of meters high
-made of layers of hardened lava and tephra
(tephra - mixture of cinders, ash, and rock)
-has explosive eruptions

one that has erupted at some point during a recorded time period and is expected to erupt again

has erupted in the distant past but is currently inactive and not expected to erupt again

does not have a recorded eruption and is not expected to erupt in the future

Mount Vesuvius, Mount Tambora, and Mount Katmai

volcanoes that were once considered
extinct but suddenly erupted killing many people.

Hawaiian eruption

-runny lava and little or no cinder, ash, and steam
-quiet eruption that may continue for a long period of time

Strombolian eruption

-produces a fountain of lava that runs down the sides
-non-violent eruption

Vulcanian eruption

-violent eruption
-causes a loud explosion that sends lava, ash, cinders, and gas into the air

Pelean eruption

-produces a Pyroclastic flow (avalanche of red-hot dust and gases) which races down the side of the volcano
-named after Mount Pelee on the Caribbean island of Martinique

Plinian eruption

-most powerful
-spews out lava, gases, ash, and debris very high into the atmosphere

Pyroclastic flow

avalanche of red-hot dust and gases

occurs when part of the mountain collapses and mud and rock fragments surge down the mountain

formed from volcanic magma and lava

water heated by magma that rises to the earth's surface

a hot spring that periodically blows steam and hot water into the air (Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park)

a hot spring that has more mud than water

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