LESSON 14.14 Review 14.14.1
Key knowledge summary Use this dot point summary to review the content covered in this topic. 14.2 What are plate tectonics? • The Earth is made up of continental plates that are constantly moving slowly. • Convection currents are the drivers of tectonic plate movement. • Some plates converge; some diverge, and others slide past one another. • Hotspots have created volcanic islands and landmasses around the world. • The Pacific Ring of Fire is the world’s most active tectonic region. 14.3 How do mountains form? • This tectonic activity (moving plates) is the process that forms mountains. • Mountains are classified by what they look like and how they were formed. • The most common formations are fold mountains. • Other mountain formations include fault-block, dome and plateau. • The Himalayas are the world’s largest mountain range. 14.4 Where are the world’s mountain ranges? • Mountains are found on every continent on Earth. • There are major chains of mountains — mountain ranges — on all continents.
• The longest land-based mountain ranges in the world are the Andes and the Rockies. • Vegetation, climate and weather change as the altitude on mountains increases. 14.5 How do people connect with mountains? • Mountains can be remote and often support low population densities. • Mountain ranges are vital for the world’s water supply. • Specific mountain landforms are sacred and special places to Indigenous Australians and other groups of people around the world. • People have adapted a range of specialised techniques to farm in mountain ranges. 14.6 What are earthquakes? • An earthquake is the sudden shaking of the ground caused by the passage of seismic waves through the Earth’s crust. • Earthquakes are a common occurrence each day across the Earth. • There is a strong relationship between the location of plate boundaries (weaknesses in the Earth’s crust) and the location of earthquakes. • The focus of an earthquake is the place underground where the movement takes place and the epicentre is the spot on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus. • Earthquakes generate both primary and secondary waves that radiate out from the focus. • Earthquakes are measured using the moment magnitude scale, the Richter scale and the modified Mercalli scale. 14.7 What is a tsunami? • Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. • The shape of the sea floor as it nears land influences the impact of a tsunami. • Tsunamis are not a single wave; they are anywhere from approximately 5 – 20 waves. • The Japanese tsunami was the result of a massive earthquake (8.9 on the Richter scale) that produced waves of over 6 metres in height.
414 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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