Natural Hazards and Tectonic Activity

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Hazard risk

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The probability or chance that a natural hazard may take place.

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Natural hazard

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A natural event (e.g., earthquake, volcanic eruption, tropical storm, flood) that threatens people or has the potential to cause damage, destruction, and death.

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Conservative plate margin

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Tectonic plate margin where two tectonic plates slide past each other.

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Constructive plate margin

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Tectonic plate margin where rising magma adds new material to plates that are diverging or moving apart.

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Destructive plate margin

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Tectonic plate margin where two plates are converging or coming together and oceanic plate is subducted. It can be associated with violent earthquakes and explosive volcanoes.

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Earthquake

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A sudden or violent movement within the Earth’s crust followed by a series of shocks.

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Immediate responses

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The reaction of people as the disaster happens and in the immediate aftermath.

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Long-term responses

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Later reactions that occur in the weeks, months, and years after the event.

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Monitoring

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Recording physical changes, such as earthquake tremors around a volcano, to help forecast when and where a natural hazard might strike.

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Plate margin

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The margin (or boundary) between two tectonic plates.