By Yasser Qureshi
Hazardous Environments
Hazard: A threat (whether natural or human) that has the potential to cause loss of life, injury,
property damage, socio-economic disruption or environmental degradation.
They can be: Geological Climatic Biological Technological
Aspects of Hazards: Structure of the Earth:
1 Distribution
2 Frequency
3 Scale
4 Prediction
Plate Boundaries:
The crust is made up of pieces of tectonic plates that can move due to convection currents. Where
these tectonic plates meet earthquakes and volcanoes are likely to occur and it is called a plate
boundary.
They can: Diverge Transform Converge
Types:
1 Destructive 2 Conservative
1 Oceanic and continental plates move towards 1 This is when plates move at different speed in
each other the same direction or in a different direction
2 Denser oceanic crust subducts under the less 2 There is a build up of friction when they ‘lock’
dense continental plate 3 Once released, plates slip in a sudden
3 Oceanic crust melts and is destroyed movement causing shockwave.
1
Hazardous Environments
Hazard: A threat (whether natural or human) that has the potential to cause loss of life, injury,
property damage, socio-economic disruption or environmental degradation.
They can be: Geological Climatic Biological Technological
Aspects of Hazards: Structure of the Earth:
1 Distribution
2 Frequency
3 Scale
4 Prediction
Plate Boundaries:
The crust is made up of pieces of tectonic plates that can move due to convection currents. Where
these tectonic plates meet earthquakes and volcanoes are likely to occur and it is called a plate
boundary.
They can: Diverge Transform Converge
Types:
1 Destructive 2 Conservative
1 Oceanic and continental plates move towards 1 This is when plates move at different speed in
each other the same direction or in a different direction
2 Denser oceanic crust subducts under the less 2 There is a build up of friction when they ‘lock’
dense continental plate 3 Once released, plates slip in a sudden
3 Oceanic crust melts and is destroyed movement causing shockwave.
1
