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Physical and Ecological
Processes
Coach Stryker’s WG
Plate Tectonics
The surface of the earth is constantly
changing due to plate tectonics and
erosion and weathering.
Volcanoes
Earthquakes and volcanoes can occur
anywhere on the surface of the earth,
including underwater, but they are
more common at plate boundaries.
Volcanoes
Sometimes volcanoes occur far from
plate boundaries. These areas are
called hot spots. A good example of a
hot spot is the formation of the
Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the
Pacific.
Volcanoes
There is an area around the Pacific
Ocean where many plates come
together known as The Ring of Fire.
This area has many active and dormant
volcanoes and volcanic eruptions are
frequent.
Volcanoes
Scientists cannot predict when
volcanoes will erupt.
People live near volcanoes because
volcanic ash is extremely fertile and
good for farming.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are more common at plate
boundaries.
The center of an earthquake on the surface
of the earth is called the epicenter.
A seismograph is a device that detects if an
earthquake has occurred.
The Richter Scale is a scale used for
measuring the intensity of an earthquake.
Tsunami
Tsunamis are giant waves caused by
earthquakes or volcanic explosions.
Tsunamis can be detected with an early
warning system but not all countries
have the money to install them.
An early warning system in the Pacific Ocean.
Tsunami
See a tsunami here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9ygYqj4rVM
Humans and Earthquakes
Humans can’t predict earthquakes but
they can build better buildings that will
withstand the effects of an earthquake.
Erosion and Weathering
The surface of the earth is also being
formed by erosion and weathering.
Weathering breaks rocks into smaller
pieces.
Erosion moves pieces of rock or dirt.
Erosion
After rocks have been broken into smaller
pieces the debris is moved by erosion. The
agents of erosion are:
A. Wind
B. Water
C. Ice
D. Gravity
Erosion
Erosion has natural causes and human
causes.
People can take steps to prevent
erosion by using nets, covering exposed
earth with straw, and replanting
vegetation.
Floods
Floods happen when there is too much
rain and rivers overflow their banks.
People can try to prevent floods by
building embankments or levees.
Floods
 Typically, areas that are low in
elevation and near rivers or the mouth
of rivers experience floods. A few
areas that have floods are:
A. Along the Mississippi River in the U.S.
B. Bangladesh
C. Parts of Eastern China