RUNNINGHEAD: E-PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT

E-Portfolio Assignment

Kameron Richard Leon

Salt Lake Community College

PART ONE-EARTHQUAKES

1. This earthquake is located in Pakistan and is a magnitude 4.6. It occurred on October 12, 2012 at 4:54 AM. The depth of the earthquake was 24.30 KM (15.10 MI) and it is a Continental Convergent (Continental-Continental) boundary. This specific earthquake is located here because two continental plates converged with one another. With continental to continental neither are dense enough to subduct beneath one or the other, so the pressure is so strong it forces them both up to create mountain ranges; as you can see in the photo. This earthquake is around many mountains.

2. This earthquake is located in Central Turkey and is a magnitude 4.4. It occurred on October 16, 2012 at 4:16 AM. The depth of the earthquake was 5.10 KM (3.17 MI) and it is a Continental Transform Fault (Transform) boundary. This specific earthquake is found here because two continental plates have slid past one another causing lots of shaking (an earthquake).

3. This earthquake is located in New Guinea, Papua and is a magnitude 4.9. It occurred on October 14, 2012 at 4:16 PM. The depth of the earthquake was 25.40 KM (15.78 MI) and it is an Oceanic Convergent (Oceanic-Oceanic) boundary. This specific earthquake is found here because two oceanic plates are converging against one another until the denser one subducts underneath the less dense one and a subduction zone is created.

4. This earthquake is located in Tonga and is a magnitude 5.0. It occurred on October 14, 2012 at 6:52 AM. The depth of the earthquake was 25.60 KM (15.91 MI) and it is an Oceanic Spreading Rift (Divergent) boundary. This specific earthquake is found here because two oceanic plates have pulled away from one another and material (in this case rock) fills the space that was created from the divergence.

5. This earthquake is located in Maule, Chile and is a magnitude 4.8. It occurred on October 14, 2012 at 5:50 AM. The depth of the earthquake was 20.40 KM (12.68 MI) and it is a Subduction Zone (Oceanic-Continental) boundary. This specific earthquake is found here because an oceanic plate has converged with a continental plate. This kind of convergence will result in the oceanic plate subducting beneath the continental plate where a subduction zone is created to destroy the material.

PART TWO-VOLCANOES

1. Ayelu is the name of a volcano located in Ethiopia on a Divergent (Continental Rift) boundary that includes a few different types; a Caldera, Stratovolcano, and Pyroclastic Cones.

2. Sete Cidades is the name of a volcano located in Portugal on a Divergent (Oceanic Spreading Rift) boundary that includes a few different types; a Stratovolcano, Caldera, and Pyroclastic Cones.

3. Middle Gobi is the name of a volcano located in Mongolia on a Divergent (Continental Rift) boundary that is a Cinder Cone type of volcano.

4. Mauna Kea is the name of a volcano located in Hawaii on a Hot Spot boundary that includes both a Shield and Pyroclastic Cones as the types of volcano.

E-portfolio Reflection

Volcanoes and earthquakes are two natural hazards that are greatly related to one another. Over time we have noticed that if an earthquake occurs than a volcano around that area is likely to go off as well. As I looked over the areas where volcanoes are along tectonic plates and where earthquakes have occurred, I noticed some cool patterns. It is really fascinating to me that Google Earth allows you to install these add-ons and to see where earthquakes have occurred and where volcanoes stand. It is really important that people look at these and be aware; it can really be used as a prevention awareness tool in some cases. And if it can’t be, then at least they learned something about the relationships between volcanoes and earthquakes.

As I looked at Google Earth I noticed that a lot of volcanoes occurred and occur along Subduction Zones in an area called “The Ring of Fire;” that we also learned about in class. Then when I looked again I noticed that a lot of earthquakes have happened in the past week along this area also. In Subduction Zones we have an oceanic plate colliding with a continental plate and sinking beneath the continental crust. I remember learning in class that volcanoes are usually around oceanic plates. This being said, I did find some volcanoes that occurred along oceanic to oceanic plates; and surely enough earthquakes have happened in those areas as well in the past week. It is really crazy how many volcanoes there are on “The Ring of Fire.” We learned about this area in class, but I never realized how many volcanoes there actually really were on this island; and how many earthquakes did occur in this area as well. This program is amazing because it actually showed me every single volcano and earthquake recorded which really helped me in understanding things a little better.

In a Subduction Zone we will see an oceanic to continental convergence, and the oceanic plate will be forced by pressure (because it is more dense) to go underneath the continental plate where it will be burned and destroyed. This burning and destroying is one of the underlying factor in volcanoes because during this process magma is produced and starts to rise to the surface; marking a volcano. As I was reading in the textbook it stated that these areas “are clearly marked by earthquakes because as the oceanic subducts, earthquakes are produced both between it and the overriding plate and within the interior of the subducting plate.” (Natural Hazards, 31) This evidence shows us that earthquakes and volcanoes are greatly related and why they usually occur around each other. It is amazing how much natural disasters are actually related and can be the cause of an offset of one another. The relationship between volcanoes and earthquakes is so much clearer to me now. When two plates collide, in any way, they are obviously likely to create some shaking like an earthquake. But in some cases when convergence happens, one plate is pushed beneath another and we start seeing volcanoes and earthquakes occurring in that area; such as “The Ring of Fire.” When you look on the map you can even see earthquakes and volcanoes around Oceanic to Oceanic convergences, and why? Because the denser oceanic plate goes below the less dense oceanic plate and a subduction zone is formed.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this assignment a lot more than I thought I would. I found it really interesting to be able to look and see where most volcanoes are and why. It really helped me understand the whole process and relationship behind volcanoes and earthquakes. It is interesting how when you really start to understand an assignment, you get so much more into it and passionate about it. I started having a lot of fun looking at the map and seeing where the different plate boundaries were, especially in relationship to volcanoes and earthquakes. Even clicking and learning about each volcano was fascinating and provided me with a lot more knowledge than I had before. It really wasn’t that bad of an assignment, but was frustrating to learn and get used to at first.

Reference Page

· Keller, Edward & Devecchio, Duane. (2012). Natural Hazards, 3rd Edition.

· Google Earth. (2012).

· In class lectures and notes (didn’t use any word for word, but thought I should cite it since that is where I learned most of the information)