Seismology: Earth's Tectonic Phenomenon Patterns

Improved Essays
For my “specialty,” I had seismology. Seismology is the branch of geology that studies earthquake behaviors. In this case, I had to deal with earthquakes and the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates. My plan was to look at where the map had different elevation patterns, so I can differentiate them into groups. I found 3 different categories, and identified them as Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. My first category is a blue (X) to represent the boundaries outside the Pacific, South American, and Pacific Plate. I noticed that type 1 was found deeper as further into the plate. My second category is a red star to symbolize frontiers around the North American Plate and the outskirts of the African Plate. I classified the pattern as type 3, showing sporadic …show more content…
My group and I worked together well to collect the different data we received from the previous map. We were at a disadvantage because another group member and myself were assigned the same specialty; Seismology. Our first step was to look at the areas where the map is constant to make a grouping for sections on the plate boundary. Based on this method, we discovered four different type of formations from our legend. Our first type is seismology; which appears further from the plate. The second type, is volcanology, which presented as clusters. The third type; geography, starts deep below sea level then gradually rises. The last type is Geochronology, found on the Nazca plate; the closer you get to the land, the older the rock formation. Since the Nazca plate is a fairly simple plate, it was easy to make four different categories to combine our …show more content…
Which is an oceanic tectonic plate located in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin right off the west coast of South America. The never-ending subduction found along the Peru- Chile Trench in the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate is the sole reason for the Andean orogeny. The Nazca Plate is surrounded by the Pacific Plate on the west, and on the south the Antarctic Plate through the East Pacific Rise and the Chile Rise. Due to the movement of the Nazca plate over numerous hotspots, volcanic islands have been created sub-ducted under South America. Shallow earthquakes are caused by faults and the movements of the continental plates, these earthquakes have their focus near the surface of the earth. Because these types of earthquakes are of a large spread, they cause greater damage at the earth’s crust. Roughly 75% of the world’s energy released from earthquakes are from shallow ones. As for deep earthquakes, they occur in sub-ducting oceanic plates, moving beneath the continental plates. They happen with larger magnitudes, as a ton of energy is released by the collision of the plates. Geologists often use triangulation as a way of finding the locations of Earthquakes. Triangulation is a way of determining something 's location using different locations. The four different types of earthquake waves are P and S wave, Surface wave and the Rayleigh wave. The faster of the waves is known as the primary wave (P

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    The research studies reveal the changing dynamics and showed that earth is left as the only planet in the solar system with the movement of tectonic plates. The studies also show that the planets like Mars and Venus had the same types of plates but they have not been detected for a long time. According to the geologists the major tectonic plate in the earth’s crust are Eurasian, North American, South American, the African, the Antarctic, Pacific and Indoaustralian plates. However along with the plates mentioned above there are some micro and secondary plates in the earth…

    • 1722 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Such as Pakistan & Kashmir had an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.6 and many died. Many buildings that cost millions and billions are just wasted and were taken down by the massive earthquake. In 1985, 9,500 died of a subduction zone coast of maz old messages, in rocks from pyramid in the ancient aztec legend times to pinpoint the most dangerous faults. And know when they are due to rupture. I don’t know what scientist know or if they can actually predict an earthquake…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Psa/111 Week 1 Analysis

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages

    According to Tarbuck, Lutgens, and Tasa (2012) “Earth Science is the name for all the sciences that collectively seek to understand Earth and its neighbors in space. It includes geology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy. In this book, Units 1-4 focus on the science of geology . . . The study of physical geology logically precedes the study of Earth history because we must fir understand how Earth works before we attempt to unravel…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    During this time, I also have the metaphase plate which is an equatorial region of the…

    • 291 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Axial Seamount Essay

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages

    (www.pmel.noaa.gov) According to www.en.wikipedia.org, the two plates that create the boundary are called the Juan de Fuca plate and the North American Plate. These two plates form a divergent plate boundary. (www.en.wikipedia.org) A divergent plate boundary is created when two plates pull away from each other.…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The location consists of two plates meeting in western California. The boundary between them is a zone of faults, the principal one being the San Andreas fault. The San Andreas fault is a strike slip fault. The Pacific Plate which is on the west, slides horizontally northwestward relative to the North American Plate located on the east. This causes earthquakes along the San Andreas and its associated faults.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. Discuss the six essential elements of geography instruction. Learning geography is more complicated that what we think. The ability to learn it and then teach it, takes more than just looking at a map and been able to label certain parts. Geography can and is very details and perhaps this is why many don’t enjoy this subject or maybe they do.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kentucky: Map Analysis

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Map analysis is to explain the details and characteristics of the map and tell exactly what type of map it is. There are several different types of maps; the type of map I chosen to analyze is a thematic map of Kentucky. I chose the state of Kentucky because that is half of my heritage. My Momma is from Kentucky and that is where the entire side of my Momma’s family is from and currently live.…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    There is an area within the Pacific Ocean called the “Ring of Fire,” that is a region of high volcanic and seismic activity ranging from parts of Asia, to Australia, and to North and South America. Majority of active volcanoes on Earth are located within the Ring of Fire. In fact 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes are located in the Ring of Fire. Within it’s boundary in the Pacific Ocean, the Ring of Fire consist of the Pacific Plate, where it runs along against other plates such as the North American Plate, the Nazca Plate, the Eurasian Plate, the Philippines Plate, the Indo-Australia Plate and other plates. This is known as sebduction and the volcanically and seismically active area nearby is known as a subduction zone.…

    • 1717 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are various meanings of geography and numerous misinterpretations. Geology for life characterizes the two noteworthy points of the view of topography, as the spatial and biological viewpoints. These are supplemented by the historical and economic points of view. As defined by the British Dicitonary of Dictionary.com, geography is the study of the natural features of the earth’s surface, including topography, climate, soil, vegetation, and man’s response to them. Compared to the English Dictionary, that defines geography as the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth's surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and interrelations over the world of such elements as climate, elevation, soil, vegetation, population, land use, industries, or states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements.…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Some of the physical features of our world that this type of geography studies are mountains and volcanoes, rainforests and deserts,…

    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    According to Christopher Scholz and his two colleagues, “The sudden movement of the Earth caused by the abrupt release of accumulated strain along a fault in the interior,” meaning an earthquake is the sudden movement along a fault line, which is where tectonic plates meet. When the plates shift this causes the Earth to shake but when the plates become unrestrained large earthquakes occur. The earthquake is not something that happens in one moment, it is a gradual buildup of pressure in one area that when released can cause large…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The first phase phase of rifting lasted approximately 10-12 million years , and was caused by the slowing subducting Farallon plate. This formed low angle faults and grabens. These geologic features can be found throughout the southern part of the Rio Grande rift. The second rifting phase occurred approximately 20 million years ago, and was triggered by the disappearance of the Farallon plate in the subduction zone (Baldridge, 1989).…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kamchatka Research Paper

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As a group, we did our project on the country of Russia. I did my part of the project on the geology of Russia. Specifically, the geology and volcanos on Kamchatka. I find the subject of geology very fascinating and I plan on choosing it as a major but I especially find the geology of Kamchatka to be very interesting.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kaylee Kiewit What is Geography? Why do we study it? Mrs. Bezy/ English 9 Honors/ Period 5 8/11/17 Geography is “the study of the physical features of the Earth and its atmosphere” as well as the activity of humans since we greatly impact the Earth around us. Themes of geography include location, place, region, movement, and human/environment interaction.…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays