Lab 3.3 – Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Estimated time to complete: 25 minutes
Materials needed: Computer
Use this map of bathymetry and earthquakes in the northeastern region of the Pacific Ocean to make observations and answer the questions below.
Assessment questions
- What type of boundary is indicated by the deepest earthquakes and the locations of mountain ranges on the nearby land?
- What is the number of earthquakes at this boundary relative to the mid-ocean ridge segments and transform zones? Is it more or less?
- What might the number of earthquakes at the mid-ocean ridge and transform zone indicate about plate movement?
- What might the number of earthquakes in the subduction zone indicate? Why might it be different than at the mid-ocean ridge?
- What does the reduced number of earthquakes in the subduction zone suggest about future natural hazards? What is your hypothesis concerning future earthquakes in this area?
- In thinking about your answer to the last question and the 2011 earthquake in Japan, what do you hypothesize about the potential for tsunamis in this region of the world?