Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Mountain Ranges

Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Mountain Ranges

by Benedicto Mindajao

What’s In

​Our country is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Thus, we often experience

earthquakes, and we are home to many majestic but terrible volcanoes. These topics

were discussed in Grade 8 and 9 Science.

​​Directions:

Do you still remember your discussions during your Grade 6, 8, and 9

about volcanoes and earthquakes? You need to recall important words related to volcanoes and earthquakes that will be used in this module. Below is a vocabulary word list with missing letters. Read the definition on the left side to complete each word on the right side. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Fill in the Blank

A volcano with accounts of eruption documented

within 10,000 years (2 words)

Clue: A_T_V_ VO_C_NO

Fill in the Blank

A big body of land on the globe.

Clue: _O_IN__T

Fill in the Blank

A vibration of Earth due to the rapid release of energy

Clue: E__T__U__E

Fill in the Blank

The location on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake

Clue: _PI_ _N_ _R

Fill in the Blank

The exact site of the origin of an earthquake, below the epicenter

CLUE: F_C_ _

Fill in the Blank

The liquid rock below the Earth's surface

CLUE: 1.   _AG_A

Fill in the Blank

A chain of mountains (2 words)

CLUE: 1.     _OU_TA_N    R_N_E

Fill in the Blank

The first type of seismic wave to be recorded in a seismic station, these compression waves are the fastest and travel through solids, liquids, and gases (2 words)

CLUE: 1.     P_IM_RY    W__E

Fill in the Blank

The second type of earthquake wave to be recorded in a seismic station; these shearing waves are stronger than P-waves, but only move through solids (2 words)

CLUE: 1.    S _ CO _ D _ R _    WAVE

Fill in the Blank

The graphical record of an earthquake

CLUE:

_E_S_OG_A_

Fill in the Blank

A measuring instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity and direction and duration of movements of an earthquake

CLUE:

S__SM_G__PH

Fill in the Blank

A Japanese term for “big wave in the port;”           generated during undersea quakes

CLUE: 

_S__AM_

Fill in the Blank

A mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor and gas is being or have been erupted from earth's crust

CLUE:

VO__A__

​How many words do you remember? You may refer back to these pages when you want to recall the definition of the listed terms. 

Our Earth has four layers consisting of different materials, namely, crust, mantle, inner, and outer core. For this module, we will focus on the lithosphere which is composed of the crust and the upper mantle.

​

​The lithosphere is said to be in constant but very slow motion. These motions are not the same everywhere. This movement of the lithosphere is called tectonics.

​FIGURE 1

​According to the Plate Tectonics Theory, the entire lithosphere of the Earth is broken into numerous segments called plates (see Figure 1). The arrows show the direction of the plate movement and the other lines are the fault lines.

​FIGURE 1

Do you notice in Figure 1 that there are seven relatively large plates and several smaller ones, including the Philippine plate? Can you remember all their names? Please do the NEXT activity to see how these plates relate to earthquakes, volcanism, and mountain formation.