🌈Earth Systems Science Unit 4 – Earthquakes & Volcanoes: Earth's Geohazards

What's Shaking? Intro to Earthquakes & Volcanoes

• Earthquakes and volcanoes are two of the most powerful and destructive natural forces on Earth
• Both phenomena are caused by the movement and interaction of tectonic plates, the large slabs of rock that make up the Earth's crust and upper mantle
• Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates suddenly slip past one another or crack, releasing energy in the form of seismic waves
• Volcanoes form where magma (molten rock) from the Earth's interior reaches the surface through openings or vents in the crust
• The study of earthquakes and volcanoes falls under the broader field of seismology, which investigates the structure and dynamics of the Earth using seismic waves
• Earthquakes and volcanoes can have significant impacts on human populations, infrastructure, and the environment, making their study crucial for hazard assessment and risk reduction
• Advancements in technology, such as seismic monitoring networks and satellite imagery, have greatly improved our understanding and ability to monitor these geohazards

Earth's Anatomy: Plate Tectonics 101

• The Earth's lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) is divided into several large tectonic plates that fit together like a puzzle
• These plates move relative to one another at rates of a few centimeters per year, driven by convection currents in the Earth's mantle
• There are three main types of plate boundaries:
  • Divergent boundaries where plates move apart (mid-ocean ridges)
  • Convergent boundaries where plates collide or one plate subducts beneath another (subduction zones)
  • Transform boundaries where plates slide past each other horizontally (transform faults)
• The movement and interaction of plates along these boundaries are responsible for most of the world's seismic and volcanic activity
• Plate tectonics also plays a crucial role in shaping Earth's surface features, such as mountain ranges (Himalayas), ocean basins (Pacific Ocean), and rift valleys (East African Rift)
• The theory of plate tectonics, developed in the 1960s, revolutionized our understanding of Earth's dynamics and provided a unifying framework for explaining geological processes

Quake Basics: How Earthquakes Happen

• Earthquakes occur when the built-up stress in rocks along a fault (a fracture in the Earth's crust) is suddenly released, causing the rocks to slip past one another
• The point within the Earth where an earthquake originates is called the hypocenter or focus, while the point directly above it on the Earth's surface is the epicenter
• The size of an earthquake is measured by its magnitude, which is based on the amplitude of seismic waves recorded by seismometers
  • The moment magnitude scale (Mw) is the most widely used and is a measure of the total energy released by an earthquake
• The intensity of shaking experienced at a given location depends on factors such as the earthquake's magnitude, distance from the epicenter, and local geology
• Seismic waves come in two main types: body waves (P-waves and S-waves) that travel through the Earth's interior and surface waves (Rayleigh and Love waves) that travel along the Earth's surface
• Aftershocks, smaller earthquakes that follow the main shock, can occur for days, weeks, or even months after a large earthquake as the crust adjusts to the new stress conditions
• Earthquakes can trigger secondary hazards such as landslides, liquefaction (when water-saturated soil loses strength and behaves like a liquid), and tsunamis (in the case of offshore earthquakes)

Volcano 101: Types and Formation

• Volcanoes are openings in the Earth's crust through which magma, volcanic gases, and ash escape onto the surface
• There are three main types of volcanoes:
  • Shield volcanoes (Mauna Loa) characterized by broad, gently sloping flanks built up by successive lava flows
  • Stratovolcanoes (Mount Fuji) characterized by steep, conical profiles and alternating layers of lava and ash
  • Cinder cones (Parícutin) the simplest type, built from ejected lava fragments that accumulate around a central vent
• Volcanoes form at plate boundaries and hotspots, areas where plumes of hot mantle material rise to the surface
  • Divergent boundaries (Iceland) where plates pull apart allow magma to rise and erupt
  • Convergent boundaries (Andes) where subducting plates melt and generate magma that rises to form volcanoes
  • Hotspots (Hawaii) where stationary mantle plumes create chains of volcanoes as plates move over them
• Volcanic eruptions can be effusive, producing fluid lava flows, or explosive, ejecting ash, pumice, and gas high into the atmosphere
• The style of eruption depends on factors such as magma composition (silica content), gas content, and magma viscosity
• Volcanoes can remain dormant for long periods between eruptions, and some may be considered extinct if they have not erupted in recorded history

Danger Zone: Impacts and Hazards

• Earthquakes and volcanoes pose significant hazards to human life, infrastructure, and the environment
• Ground shaking during earthquakes can cause buildings to collapse, bridges to fail, and landslides to occur
  • Soil liquefaction can undermine foundations and cause structures to sink or tilt
  • Tsunamis generated by offshore earthquakes can inundate coastal areas, causing widespread damage and loss of life
• Volcanic eruptions can produce a range of hazards:
  • Lava flows can bury and burn everything in their path
  • Pyroclastic flows (fast-moving avalanches of hot ash, gas, and rock) can be particularly deadly
  • Ash fall can cause respiratory problems, damage crops, and disrupt transportation (air travel)
  • Lahars (volcanic mudflows) can occur when ash and debris mix with water, engulfing valleys and towns
• Secondary hazards such as fires, power outages, and water contamination can exacerbate the impacts of earthquakes and volcanoes
• The economic costs of these disasters can be staggering, with damage to infrastructure, disruption of trade, and loss of tourism revenue
• Long-term effects may include changes to the landscape, alteration of ecosystems, and displacement of populations
• Understanding the potential impacts and hazards is crucial for developing effective risk reduction and emergency response strategies

Predicting Disaster: Forecasting and Early Warning

• While it is not yet possible to predict exactly when and where an earthquake or volcanic eruption will occur, scientists use various methods to monitor and forecast these events
• Seismic monitoring networks detect and locate earthquakes by measuring seismic waves with seismometers
  • Analysis of seismic data can help identify active faults, estimate the likelihood of future earthquakes, and characterize the behavior of fault systems
• Geodetic techniques, such as GPS and InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar), measure ground deformation to detect the buildup of strain in the Earth's crust
• For volcanoes, monitoring methods include:
  • Seismic monitoring to detect volcanic tremors and earthquakes that may signal magma movement
  • Ground deformation measurements to track the swelling or deflation of a volcano's surface
  • Gas emissions monitoring to detect changes in the composition and quantity of volcanic gases
  • Thermal imaging to identify hot spots and track lava flows
• These monitoring data are used to create hazard maps, which delineate areas at risk from earthquakes or volcanic eruptions
• Early warning systems, such as the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system in Japan, can provide seconds to minutes of warning before strong shaking arrives, allowing people to take protective actions
• However, the accuracy and lead time of these systems are limited, and false alarms can occur
• Effective communication and public education are essential components of any early warning system to ensure that people know how to respond when an alert is issued

Staying Safe: Mitigation and Preparedness

• Mitigating the impacts of earthquakes and volcanoes involves a combination of structural measures, land-use planning, and preparedness
• Structural mitigation for earthquakes includes:
  • Seismic retrofitting of existing buildings to improve their resistance to shaking
  • Designing new structures to withstand expected levels of ground motion using seismic building codes
  • Installing base isolation systems or energy dissipation devices to absorb seismic energy
• Land-use planning can reduce exposure to hazards by guiding development away from active faults, unstable slopes, or areas prone to liquefaction
• For volcanoes, mitigation measures may include:
  • Creating exclusion zones around active volcanoes to restrict access and development
  • Constructing diversion channels or barriers to redirect lava flows and lahars away from populated areas
  • Establishing evacuation routes and shelters for communities at risk
• Preparedness involves educating the public about the hazards they face and how to respond during an emergency
  • Developing and practicing emergency response plans at the individual, family, and community levels
  • Participating in earthquake and volcano drills to reinforce appropriate actions (drop, cover, and hold on during earthquakes; follow evacuation orders during volcanic eruptions)
  • Assembling emergency kits with supplies such as water, food, first-aid, and communication devices
• Effective risk communication is crucial for promoting preparedness and ensuring that warnings and evacuation orders are heeded
• Building community resilience through social networks, local knowledge, and resource sharing can help communities better withstand and recover from disasters

Hot Topics: Current Research and Discoveries

• Advances in seismic imaging techniques, such as seismic tomography and ambient noise interferometry, are providing unprecedented insights into the structure and dynamics of the Earth's interior
• Seafloor geodesy, using GPS-acoustic techniques and pressure sensors, is enabling the monitoring of offshore plate motions and the detection of slow slip events along subduction zones
• Machine learning and big data analytics are being applied to seismic and volcanic datasets to improve the speed and accuracy of event detection, location, and characterization
• Investigations into the triggering mechanisms of earthquakes, such as the role of fluid pressure changes and the interaction between neighboring faults, are advancing our understanding of earthquake nucleation and propagation
• Research into the behavior of magma reservoirs and conduits is shedding light on the processes that control the style and timing of volcanic eruptions
  • Petrological and geochemical studies of erupted products provide clues to the pre-eruptive storage conditions and evolution of magmas
  • Numerical modeling and laboratory experiments are used to simulate magma ascent, degassing, and fragmentation
• Satellite-based remote sensing techniques, such as InSAR and thermal imaging, are revolutionizing the monitoring of volcanoes in remote or inaccessible areas
• Interdisciplinary studies are exploring the complex interactions between earthquakes, volcanoes, and other Earth systems, such as the atmosphere, oceans, and cryosphere
• Collaborative efforts, such as the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) and the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO), are fostering international cooperation and data sharing to advance global risk reduction strategies