Inside Earth

Geography

The movement of tectonic plates

Plate boundaries

Types of volcanoes

Volcanic hazards

Living close to volcanoes

The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo

Earthquakes

The effects of earthquakes

Living in earthquake regions

The 2025 Myanmar Earthquake

The 2018 Sunda Strait Tsunami

This unit teaches pupils about the physical processes that lead to tectonic hazards and investigates the geographical pattern of hazards across the world. Pupils will also learn how tectonic hazards affect people in different places and how people seek to manage hazards.

Tectonic hazards: Why is Earth restless?

a large landmass on Earth. There are seven: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania

large sections of the lithosphere that are on the move

the mass of something compared to its volume

the huge pieces that Earth’s crust is broken into are known as tectonic plates

where two tectonic plates meet is known as a plate boundary

the outer layer of Earth where our continents and oceans are and is the layer on which we live

the layer between Earth’s outer core and crust. It is the largest layer of Earth and is mostly semi-molten lava

a boundary where two tectonic plates move together causing volcanoes and earthquakes

a boundary where two tectonic plates move apart, causing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes

a very hot mix of lava, ash, gases and rock that flows rapidly down the side of the volcano

a mudflow formed when volcanic ash mixes with water

all the basic systems in a country, such as transport and power supply

to move people away from an area with a threat or hazard to a place of safety

actions that occur in the hours, days or weeks immediately after a disaster to help the basic needs of people

actions that occur in the months or years after a disaster to help rebuild or recover from the effects

consequences that relate to the way money is made, lost or spent

consequences that relate to people’s quality of life, e.g. healthcare

the huge pieces that Earth’s surface is broken into

the point deep underground where the tectonic plates first break

how much energy is released during an earthquake, often measured in Mw (moment magnitude)

where the earthquake is first felt, the point on the surface directly above the focus

the point underground where the tectonic plates first break or slip

the chance of something occurring, such as an earthquake

saying exactly when, where and what will happen

identifying that something has just happened or is happening now

a boundary where two tectonic plates move past each other, either in different directions and/or at different speeds, in the same direction

a smaller earthquake that follows an initial larger earthquake

the total value of all the goods and services produced in a country (its gross domestic product or GDP) in a year, divided by the population to give an amount per person

a series of large, powerful ocean waves caused by a sudden disturbance

to move something from its original position, e.g. ocean water

the basic systems in a country, such as transport and power supply

NOAA_Tsunami_Animation-2016 (1)

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Tectonic hazards: Why is Earth restless?

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