Discuss how a tectonic hazard can be viewed as purely physical processes.

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Discuss how a tectonic hazard can be viewed as purely physical processes:

The Earth’s crust is made up of seven principal tectonic plates and numerous other smaller plates. The plates are sections of the crust that “float” on the mantle, which is made up of molten rock. Where the plate’s meet, huge forces mean that they can form features such as volcanoes, Fold Mountains, deep-sea trenches and earthquakes. There are two main types of tectonic plate. Oceanic crust is often only about 5km thick, but is very dense. Continental crust is considerably thicker, often being approximately 30km deep, but is less dense. Movement between these plates on the faults causes tectonic hazards including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and these all occur on the faults which are where the plates meet or on the smaller plates. When the plates collide, slide past each other, or slip under pressure, this is when a natural hazard occurs. An earthquake occurs when pressure has built up between two plates until it reaches the point at which it cannot hold any more, the sudden release of pressure causes shockwaves to pass through the earths surface causing the whole ground to shake which can cause severe damage to buildings and can trigger other natural hazards such as land slides. Earthquakes that occur under the sea can also produce tsunamis which are waves produced by the movement of the sea bed during an earthquake. These waves are not often very big in amplitude but they have a large wavelength which can cause severe damage to anything it comes in contact with. A volcano is the occurs where an oceanic plate become submerged below a continental plate due to its lower density, the pressure causes the plate to form magma which is then forced through the continental plate and arrives at the surface as lava which forms a volcano.

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        When these occur there are many deaths and huge damage to the buildings and the economy of the area, even if they are prepared for the disaster. Countries with large population in confined areas, even if in a developed country are usually the ones at most risk even in developed countries due to the high population in cities in hazard zones and building on unsuitable land such as floodplains which flood during floods and on low coastal land which can be easily flooded when tsunamis occur.

        The diagram below shows the different plates and their names, and shows all ...

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