The Hazardous Earth, Essay Example

The geology of each and every area on the surface of the earth keeps on changing due to the continual shifts realized on the tectonic place and also due to the impacts of human activities. Over time, all life that has been perched on the continental crust has evolved. This evolution has occurred on the earth’s crust where rocks of relatively low density but rich in phosphorus, calcium, silica and potassium. The chemical makeup of these rocks fundamentally determine numerous aspects of growth for the plant. This is predominantly owing to the fact that as one moves away from the surface of the earth towards its core, rocks become serpentized as a result of the altering effect of the contact with water.  There are very few regions that have very deep earthquakes, occurring greater than 500 km. In the map, there are 4 particular regions that are characterized by deep lying earthquakes. They include:

• Tonga; this area is characterized by the Tonga Trench. The trench is 35,702 ft. (10,882 meters) deep. The deepest point in this trench is called the Horizon Deep. The Tonga trench goes as far as north of the North Island, in the Kermadec Islands.
• Lebu, Chile; this area ic characterized by the South American arc that stretches from Chilean margin triple junction to the Panama fracture intersection. This region does not experience earthquakes between 300 to 500 km deep. But activity is experienced between 500 and 600 km.
• Sunda; this area is characterized by the Sunda plate that overlaps the equator on the eastern hemisphere. The plate is close to the Eurasian plate, but independent in its movement.
• North Honshu; the island of Honshu is at the center of a triple junction, where five volcanic arcs meet.

Each of these areas has a defined plate boundary that characterizes the earthquakes experienced. The Tonga trench has a convergent plate boundary. The trench is as a result of the subduction of the Pacific Plate below the Indo-Australian Plate and the Tonga Plate. Lebu is also characterized by a convergent plate boundary. This results from the subduction of the Nazca Plate below the South America Plate. The Sunda area is characterized by convergent boundaries that are tectonically active the north Honshu region is also characterized by convergent plate boundaries that result from the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate (Kurile Arc), the subduction of the Pacific Plate below the Philippine Plate (Izu-bonin Arc) and the subduction of the Philippine Plate below the Eurasian Plate (Ryukyu and Southwest Honshu Arcs).

3. The youngest tectonic plate material in the Pacific Ocean is found on the east pacific rise.
4. The oldest tectonic plate material on the Pacific Ocean is found on the northwestern corner of the Pacific Ocean.
5. The Mid-Atlantic Ocean ridge has the youngest tectonic plate material in the Atlantic Ocean.
6. The oldest plate material in the Atlantic Ocean can be found near the African and North American continents. Plate material here is about 160 million years old.