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Global distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes
I can explain how most earthquakes and volcanoes are located at plate margins.
Lesson 5 of 12
New
New
- Year 10
- AQA
Global distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes
I can explain how most earthquakes and volcanoes are located at plate margins.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- There is a pattern in the global distribution of earthquakes.
- There is a pattern in the global distribution of volcanoes.
- The global distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes coincides with plate margins.
Keywords
Epicentre - the point on Earth's surface that is directly above where an earthquake happens underground
Magnitude - a measure of the energy released by an earthquake
Margin - the boundary where tectonic plates meet
Hotspot - an area in Earth's mantle where unusually hot magma rises toward the surface, creating volcanic activity
Common misconception
That both volcanoes and earthquakes occur at all types of plate margin.
While earthquakes are produced by tectonic movements at all plate margins, volcanoes are not found at conservative plate margins.
This lesson uses AQA terminology for plate margins; for Edexcel B plate boundaries are used instead of plate margins, destructive margins are convergent boundaries and constructive margins are divergent boundaries.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the facts with the layer of Earth.
Match the facts with the layer of Earth.
Q2.Earth's crust is broken into plates.
Earth's crust is broken into plates.
Q3.Earth's surface is made up of two types of crust, the crust found underneath the oceans and the continental crust, found under land masses or continents.
Earth's surface is made up of two types of crust, the crust found underneath the oceans and the continental crust, found under land masses or continents.
Q4.What is an earthquake?
What is an earthquake?
A type of volcanic eruption
A weather phenomenon
Q5.Match the categories of natural hazard with their definitions.
Match the categories of natural hazard with their definitions.
Q6.A volcanic eruption that takes place close to a densely-populated city is likely to cause a natural .
A volcanic eruption that takes place close to a densely-populated city is likely to cause a natural .
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the keyword with its correct definition.
Match the keyword with its correct definition.
Q2.The global distribution of of earthquakes closely matches the edges or of these tectonic plates.
The global distribution of of earthquakes closely matches the edges or of these tectonic plates.
Q3.75% of the world’s active volcanoes occur in the “Ring of Fire”.
75% of the world’s active volcanoes occur in the “Ring of Fire”.
Q4.Which of these plate margins can volcanoes form on?
Which of these plate margins can volcanoes form on?
conservative margins
