University of the Visayas

Toledo City Campus

Toledo, City

WRITTEN REPORT IN
PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY
Submitted by:
Leah Shane Quadra Umambac

Submitted to:
Ms. Edmyrn Nelmida
I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson the students will be able to:

a. Understand the different tectonic plates of the Earth, earthquake zones, influences on weathering, and
types of mass wasting and causes of mass wasting.

b. Make use of the information given regarding the topic.

c. Value the importance tectonic plates of the Earth, earthquake zones, influences on weathering, and
types of mass wasting and causes of mass wasting.

II. Subject Matter

Main Topic: EARTHQUAKE ZONES

Sub-topic: TECTONIC PLATES OF THE EARTH, EARTHQUAKE ZONES, INFLUENCES ON

WEATHERING, AND TYPES OF MASS WASTING AND CAUSES OF MASS WASTING.

III. Materials

Visual aids, chalk

IV. Procedure

A. Preparation

1. Opening prayer to be led by a student.

2. Greet the students and ask to arrange their chair and pick-up the pieces of paper

B. Motivation

"Guessing Game" - Re-arrange the letters to form a word that will lead in revealing the lesson for
the day

C. Lesson Proper

1. Raise-up questions

Ask the students to define what the meaning of the word is revealed. Then discuss the following
topics under earthquake zones.

2. Let the students identify the different tectonic plates of the Earth, earthquake zones, influences on
weathering, and types of mass wasting and causes of mass wasting.

3. Check their answers to determine if the really learn something.

V. Reference

EARTHQUAKE ZONES - https://courses.lumenlearning.com/geophysical/chapter/earthquake-

zones/
TECTONIC PLATES OF THE EARTH- https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-
Topics/Earthquakes/Earthquakes-at-a-Plate-Boundary/Tectonic-Plates-and-Plate-Boundaries
INFLUENCES ON WEATHERING -
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/geophysical/chapter/influences-on-weathering/
MASS WASTING- https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-mass-wasting.html
EARTHQUAKE ZONES
Nearly 95% of all earthquakes take place along one of the three types of tectonic plate boundaries, but earthquakes
do occur along all three types of plate boundaries. About 80% of all earthquakes strike around the Pacific Ocean
basin because it is lined with convergent and transform boundaries. Called the Ring of Fire, this is also the location of
most volcanoes around the planet. About 15% take place in the Mediterranean-Asiatic Belt, where convergence is
causing the Indian Plate to run into the Eurasian Plate creating the largest mountain ranges in the world. The
remaining 5% are scattered around other plate boundaries or are intra plate earthquakes.

Tectonic Plates and Plate Boundaries

You can actually see New Zealand’s plate boundary fault at Gaunt Creek:
https://www.geotrips.org.nz/

The Earth’s outer shell, the lithosphere, consisting of the crust and uppermost mantle, is divided into a patchwork of
large tectonic plates that move slowly relatively to each other. There are 7-8 major plates and many minor plates.
Varying between 0 to 100mm per year, the movement of a plate is driven by convection in the underlying hot and
viscous mantle.

Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along plate boundaries in
zones that may be anything from a few kilometres to a few hundred kilometres wide. To watch a simulated fly-by
along New Zealand's plate boundary check out this video.

TECTONIC PLATES OF THE EARTH

Arrows pointing towards one another indicate a convergent boundary which arrows pointing away indicate a
divergent boundary.
There are three main types of plate boundaries:

1. Convergent boundaries: where two plates are colliding.

Sub-duction zones occur when one or both of the tectonic plates are composed of oceanic crust. The denser plate is
sub-ducted underneath the less dense plate. The plate being forced under is eventually melted and destroyed.

i. Where oceanic crust meets ocean crust

Island arcs and oceanic trenches occur when both of the plates are made of oceanic crust. Zones of active seafloor
spreading can also occur behind the island arc, known as back-arc basins. These are often associated with
submarine volcanoes.

ii. Where oceanic crust meets continental crust

The denser oceanic plate is sub-ducted, often forming a mountain range on the continent. The Andes is an example
of this type of collision.

iii. Where continental crust meets continental crust

Both continental crusts are too light to sub-duct so a continent-continent collision occurs, creating especially large
mountain ranges. The most spectacular example of this is the Himalayas.

2. Divergent boundaries – where two plates are moving apart.

The space created can also fill with new crustal material sourced from molten magma that forms below. Divergent
boundaries can form within continents but will eventually open up and become ocean basins.

i. On land
Divergent boundaries within continents initially produce rifts, which produce rift valleys.

ii. Under the sea

The most active divergent plate boundaries are between oceanic plates and are often called mid-oceanic ridges.

3. Transform boundaries – where plates slide passed each other.

The relative motion of the plates is horizontal. They can occur underwater or on land, and crust is neither destroyed
nor created.

Because of friction, the plates cannot simply glide past each other. Rather, stress builds up in both plates and when it
exceeds the threshold of the rocks, the energy is released – causing earthquakes.
INFLUENCES ON WEATHERING

Rock and Mineral Type

Weathering rates depend on several factors. These include the composition of the rock and the minerals it contains
as well as the climate of a region. Different rock types weather at different rates. Certain types of rock are very
resistant to weathering. Igneous rocks, especially intrusive igneous rocks such as granite, weather slowly because it
is hard for water to penetrate them. Other types of rock, such as limestone, are easily weathered because they
dissolve in weak acids. Rocks that resist weathering remain at the surface and form ridges or hills. Devil’s Tower in
Wyoming is an igneous rock from beneath a volcano. As the surrounding less resistant rocks were worn away, the
resistant centre of the volcano remained behind. Different minerals also weather at different rates. Some minerals in
a rock might completely dissolve in water, but the more resistant minerals remain. In this case, the rock’s surface
becomes pitted and rough. When a less resistant mineral dissolves, more resistant mineral grains are released from
the rock.

Climate

A region’s climate strongly influences weathering. Climate is determined by the temperature of a region plus the
amount of precipitation it receives. Climate is weather averaged over a long period of time. Chemical weathering
increases as:

 Temperature increases: Chemical reactions proceed more rapidly at higher temperatures. For each 10
degrees C increase in average temperature, the rate of chemical reactions doubles.
 Precipitation increases: More water allows more chemical reactions. Since water participates in both
mechanical and chemical weathering, more water strongly increases weathering.

So how do different climates influence weathering? A cold, dry climate will produce the lowest rate of weathering. A
warm, wet climate will produce the highest rate of weathering. The warmer a climate is, the more types of vegetation
it will have and the greater the rate of biological weathering. This happens because plants and bacteria grow and
multiply faster in warmer temperatures.

MASS WASTING
Mass wasting, sometimes known as slope or mass movement, is the large movement of soil, rock, and debris
downhill because of the force of gravity. It is a natural phenomenon initiated by gravity but made possible by a
combination of several factors. Modern geography has enlarged the definition of mass wasting to include natural
erosion and the submerging of the earth's surface. Mass wasting occurs along slopes such as hill or mountain sides
and can result in significant alteration of the surrounding terrain. Mass wasting is a form of landslide.

Causes of Mass Wasting

Several factors cause mass wasting besides gravitational pull. They include:

Volcanic Activities

Volcanic eruptions spew hot magma and mud that melt the snow at the top of the mountain to form mud sludge. The
sludge loosens the soil at the slope of the mountain that begins to give way. The longer the eruptions takes, the more
the mass wasting occurs.

Earthquake Shocks

Earthquakes result in the down flow of already weakened portions of mountains and hills. Drenched slopes, slopes
with no vegetation, and extremely steep slopes are at a high risk of mass wasting by earthquakes. Typically, powerful
earthquakes result in more mass wasting.

Landslides

Landslides are the most common causes of mass wasting. They result in the movement of earth, rock, and debris
downhill. Landslides can be massive, small, high speed, or slow. Water, wind, and earth tremors can result in
landslides that lead to mass wasting.
Mudslide

Mudslide or debris flow occur after a cloudburst or torrential rainfall. Water quickly saturates the soil creating an
unstable sludge that begins to flow as a river of mud. Mudflow can also occur when the snow melts quickly and socks
up the side of the mountain. The difference between a mudflow and a landslide is that mudflows move as liquefied
material wild landslides move as a block of earth.

Types of Mass Wasting

Rockslides and Rock falls

A rockslide occurs when a mass of bedrock in a slanted surface moves rapidly along a fault. The slide results in the
shifting of rocks that destabilize the surrounding environment leading to a rock avalanche.

Debris Flows

Debris flows are the common types of mass wasting. This form of mass wasting involves the movement of earth
downslope as a single block or as mudflow. The flowing debris moves rocks, trees, houses, and vehicles along the
path.

Soil Creep

Soil creep is the mass movement of the earth over a long time. It is caused by the slow movements of rocks and soil
in different directions because of gravity. The movement is proportional to the slope. Trees and shrubs remain
perpendicular, and it is hard to notice the mass wasting using the naked eye.