This week we are exploring Plate Tectonics and how important it is to know the location of the plate boundaries, and how it is closely related to some natural hazards, like volcanoes or earthquakes.
In the US, the NOAA map below shows how the Easter part of the States is a passive margin, and the Western side of the country is a very active one, with the Pacific Plate, Cocos, Juan de Fuca plates connecting to the North American plate. Not a surprise we are on the ‘Ring of Fire’, where a lot of the volcanic and seismic activity happens!
Closer to home, the transform plate boundary called SAF (San Andreas Fault) is responsible for most of the shaking. These plates (North American and Pacific) are slowly moving past one another at a couple of inches a year; about the same rate that your fingernails grow! Our amazing SAF is also a right strike slip fault.
Of course, there are a few exceptions, like the activity of Hawaii within the Pacific plate (hot spot) or the New Madrid area (ancient rift) within the North American Plate, both not at plate boundaries, but that will be another post another time...
We might not know when events like volcanic eruptions or big earthquakes will happen (a lot of these happen underwater...), but if you know your Tectonics, you definitely know WHERE they (mostly) do!
Hey Ana I reading through your post made me understand even more how good it is for Ireland to sit near the center of a big plate letting avoid all the natural disasters. Seeing how much destruction can come from one of these disasters then seeing how many have happened us shocking. Thank you for posting this example it helps a lot.
ReplyDeleteHello Ana, this is Sofia Baker. Since I live in California, I've always grown up hearing about the San Andreas Fault and the destruction it could do. It's scary hearing about if the "big one" happens along the San Andreas Fault. Hearing your fun fact about the slow rate in which the plates move is reassuring to me, and I'm trying to believe it's not an immediate hazard and it's so slow moving maybe the destruction will happen after my life time (just kidding). Thank you so much for your post it was very informative!
ReplyDeleteHello Ana! Your post is very well written and I love the image you added to this weeks post. I will admit I did not know that Hawaii and New Madrid were not on any plate boundaries. Very interesting to learn that fact. Your post has been very informative and I look forward to learning more from you!
ReplyDeleteVery informative! I'm originally from the east coast, so I have never experienced any kind of noticable seismic activity. It is very interesting to hear about the San Andreas Fault; I had no idea that we are in such close proximity to it.
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