2014

Global Earthquakes

Supports internal assessment for:

Achievement Standard: 91013 V1

Describe aspects of a geographic topic at a global scale

Credits: 3

Teacher Guidelines and Mark Schedule

Teacher Guidelines:

The following guidelines are supplied to enable teachers to carry out valid and consistent assessment using this internal assessment resource.

Context/setting

Geographic topics at a global scale should be undertaken which illustrate world patterns, factors and/or processes that cause the pattern and the significance for people’s lives. This study requires the study of earthquakes in differing parts of the world. Although the processes can be the same and the significance for people’s lives may be the same, there is a need to demonstrate that earthquakes are global phenomena and therefore more than one must be studied as part of this global study. This study can be carried out in conjunction with class studies on the processes of earthquakes as an extreme natural event.

Conditions:

Students will work through the assessment tasks individually using the resources supplied and their own knowledge of earthquakes patterns and processes. They may also do their own research prior to the assessment and have access to their class notes and an atlas. Students will have 3-4 periods of time to complete the written tasks once they are familiar with the resources supplied.

Resource requirements:

There are resource sheets available as part of this assessment that will need to be read through and discussed prior to the students completing the assessment. They may also have access to an atlas. The resource sheets should be available during the assessment. Students may annotate the pattern map to help them answer tasks.

Mark schedule for 1.7 Global Earthquakes2014The following egs are not the only examples as they can use any from research and/or class teaching as well.

Task 1 / Achieved / Merit / Excellence
Fully describe the pattern produced by earthquakes at a global scale.
and
Include specific examples from different parts of the world (regions, continents, hemispheres)
Pattern words could be used in achieved and merit answers and must be used in excellence answers eg:
Clustered, concentrated, peripheral, dispersed, linear…
Showing insight means the student has demonstrated a clear understanding
Concepts could be pattern, location, change, environment… / Must describe patternand have examples from different parts of the world.
Eg Global earthquakes form a linear pattern around the world. The earthquakes occur in lines. There is a line of earthquakes running through Japan and NZ. There is also a line down the coast of South America and around all the plate edges. / Must describe patternin depth and have examples in different parts of the world.
Eg Global earthquakes form a linear pattern around the world. There is a clear line of earthquakes running from the NE to the SW through Japan and the same through NZ. The west coast of South America has also had many earthquakes in countries such as Peru, Ecuador and Chile. These occurrencesform a solid line from North to South in the Southern Hemisphere. The lines are clearly shown around the edges of the plates such as the Pacific Ring of Fire. / Must fully describe the patternand include examples in different parts of the world plus use geographic terminology, insight and concepts.
Eg The global pattern of earthquakes can be described as concentrated in some parts of the world environment and dispersed in others. The pattern shows a large concentration of earthquakes located in Asia where several earthquakes have occurred in close proximity to each other. Other locations around the world that have concentrations of earthquakes are Europe, Indonesia and Japan. The pattern changes in some locations and can be described as linear with the majority of the earthquakes following plate boundaries. The west coast of South America shows a distinctive North-South linear pattern along the boundaries of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. NZ also has a distinctive linear pattern of earthquakes running along its plate boundaries (Pacific and Indo-Australian) from the NE to the SW. The Pacific plate boundary is also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire due to an environment of active volcanoes located around the edge. A peripheral pattern of quakes can be clearly seen around the edges of this dynamic tectonic plate. 80% of all recorded earthquakes are located around the edge of this plate. Finally earthquakes are also dispersed across the globe as they are located in several different continents in both the northern and southern hemispheres, such as Asia, North and South America, Africa and Australia.
If only one concept eg pattern –that is ok if it is described in depth with clear understanding or includes lots of ideas or concepts within the answer to warrant an excellence grade
Same applies to task 2 and 3
Task 2 / Achieved / Merit / Excellence
Fully describe the factors/ processes that cause the patternproduced by earthquakes at a global scale and
Include specific examplesfrom different parts of the world (countries, regions, continents, hemispheres)
Factors could include:
Convection currents
Plate tectonics process
Plate boundaries
Plate movement
subduction
Seismic waves
Elastic rebound theory
Fault movements
Volcanism
Pacific Ring of Fire
For Excellence:
Showing insight means having a clear understanding and linking causes with pattern.
Concept(s) could include:
Processes, location, environment, change, interaction, pattern… / Describes two factors/processes that cause the global pattern of earthquakes and includes named places from different parts of the globe.
E.g. Under the earth’s crust there are convection currents which cause the tectonic plates to move. These plates collide with each other and as they do they cause earthquakes along that line of collision. Japan has a lot of earthquakes in a line running through the country due to two plates colliding. New Zealand also has two plates colliding and this causes earthquakes to run in a line through our country. The plates are subducting along the coast of South America and this makes another linear pattern of earthquakes. / Describes in detail the factors/processes that cause the pattern of earthquakes and includes specific examples from places across the world.
E.g. The processes which are responsible for the patterns of earthquakes are the movement of plates. Plates are found all over the world and they are constantly moving. Convection currents from the mantle move the plates and this constant moving is what results in earthquakes forming a linear pattern around the edges of two plates. There is a linear pattern of earthquakes in Japan caused by the Pacific plate subducting or pushing under the Philippine plate. Also the linear pattern of earthquakes in NZ is caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate under the Indo-Australian plate. The linear pattern along the west coast of South America is caused by the Nazca plate subducting beneath the South American plate. Because the Pacific plate is constantly moving due to convection currents a line of earthquakes and volcanoes appears around its edge. / Must fully describe the factors and/or processes that cause the pattern produced by earthquakes at a global scale.
Must include detailed examples plus use geographic terminology, insight (causes linked to pattern) and concept(s)
E.g. The pattern of global earthquakes is due to the process of plate tectonics. The heat from earth’s core causes convection currents in the surrounding liquid mantle. The surface of the earth is where the mantle has cooled enough to form a crust which is broken into several giant pieces known as plates. They float on the mantle beneath and their edges are constantly moving against each other due to the convection currents. It is this process of moving that causes the location of earthquakes and therefore the linear and peripheral pattern of earthquakes around plate boundaries and edges.The Elastic Rebound Theory explains the process in more detail. Energy builds up along the plate boundaries and the strain or tension is eventually released as an earthquake. This movement causes several faults which are weak points in the earth’s crust and therefore the tension is often released along these weaker locations. The San Andreas fault in North America and the Alpine fault in the South Island of NZ are well known seismic faults and a linear pattern of earthquakes is clearly seen on these boundaries. Three types of plate movement can trigger earthquakes. When two continental plates collide the land buckles up into mountain chains such as in the Himalayan region in Asia where there are regular earthquakes forming a clustered pattern. When an oceanic plate and a continental plate collide subduction occurs and the oceanic plate is dragged under. Earthquakes often occur when the tension is released as the plates shift, such as around the periphery of the Pacific Plate. This dynamic environment is often referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire as many volcanic eruptions also occur here. Regular earthquakes in Japan, NZ, Indonesia, and along the west coast of North and South America are due to subduction of the Pacific Plate. This results in the pattern of earthquakes forming a line running north to south.The final boundary movement is known as transform, where two plates can slide past each other. Tension builds up and eventually the strain is too much and energy is released along faults such as the San Andreas in USA.
Task 3 / Achieved / Merit / Excellence
Fully describe the significance/impacts of earthquakes on people’s lives
And
Include specific examples from different parts of the world (countries, regions, continents, hemispheres)
Impacts could be Social or economic, short or long term, positive or negative.
For Excellence:
Showing insight refers to a clear understanding, showing perception and linking causes with effects on people’s lives.
Concept(s) could include: perception, location, sustainability, change,
Processes, environment, interaction, pattern… / Describes the significance/impacts on people’s lives and needs examples from different parts of the world.
Earthquakes have affected people’s lives all around the world. In Christchurch people have been living with the devastating effects of the 2011 February earthquake. Many are fearful of further earthquakes occurring and some people were so upset they have moved away. In Japan in 2011 people were very scared and frightened. They had to evacuate their homes due to the threat of a nuclear explosion. People in Haiti were worried about the spread of disease and getting sick after the earthquake in 2010. / Describes in detail the significance/impacts on people’s lives and includes specific examples from different parts of the world
Earthquakes have affected people’s lives all around the world. In Christchurch people have been living with the devastating effects of the 2011 February earthquake. It has taken 18 months for a new plan of Christchurch to be released. In the immediate hours and days following the quake people showed empathy by helping each other to cope with the trauma and grief of losing loved ones. In Japan in 2011 people were very scared and frightened. Residents within 20km of a nuclear power plant had to evacuate their homes due to the threat of a nuclear explosion. People had to cope with the stress of no power and water following the quake.Professor Lorraine Sherr said “surviving, living through trauma, panic or injury affects people forever.”In Haiti thousands were traumatised and mental health experts said the psychological effects of the disaster could take months to emerge. / Fully describes the significance/impacts of earthquakes on people’s lives. Must include detailed specific examples from all over the world plus use geographic terminology, insight(clear links between causes and effects on people’s lives) and concept(s)
Earthquakes have affected people’s lives all around the world. Effects can be social, economic, short and long term. In Christchurch people have been living with the devastating effects of the 2011 February earthquake for a long time. Some residents in the severely impacted eastern suburbs are still facing the indignity of using portaloos and are still awaiting news of whether their houses are able to be repaired or not. This limbo state means people are unable to easily move on after a devastating event and may be suffering from psychological problems. It has taken 18 months for a new plan of Christchurch to be released. This new plan has been a chance for Christchurch to build a sustainable city for the future and include much more green and open space. The new CBD is centred around the Avon River allowing people to interact with nature and have a more enjoyable environment in the CBD. Locals are able to have a say on the plan through public meetings. This gives people a positive outlook by having a say in their future. In the immediate hours and days following the quake the student army showed care and empathy by mucking in and helping to clear the mud from liquefaction. Others who weren’t so affected unselfishly opened their homes to strangers who had become homeless.
Japanese people in 2011were very scared and frightened. Residents within 20km of the Fukushima nuclear power plant had to evacuate their homes due to the threat of a nuclear explosion. People had to cope with the stress of no power and water following the quake. 4.4 million households were without power and 1.5 were without water. This is a common impact on people’s lives following quakes but is more significant in third world countries such as Haiti and Indonesia as the chances of disease and water contamination are far more likely due to the poor standards of living. This makes the effects of the earthquake on the people even more difficult to cope with as many of them are not only grieving for lost family members or friends but also struggling with poor health and may have lost their means of earning money and providing for their families such as tourist operators in the Maldives following the destruction of resorts due to the tsunami after Indonesia quake in 2004.
Other ideas: (also many more)
1000’s traumatised in Haiti
Vulnerable to mental health problems
People not able to bury dead after Boxing Day tsunami
Catholic faith helps with trauma
Lakou system where people work co-operatively
Recreation kits to help children cope
Fishing and tourism industries affected after 2004 Boxing day tsunami