C O M P LETE GEO GR A P HY FO R C A M B R I D GE I GCSE

Chapter 3 Answers to student book questions

1 Any three from: Andes, Rocky Mountains, Sierra
Madre, Pyrenees, Alps, Atlas, Caucasus, Zagros,
Himalayas.
2 a Both earthquakes and volcanoes mostly occur
in relatively narrow belts around the world.
If an area has volcanoes, it will also have
earthquakes (even if they do not all appear on
a map of this scale). However, there are some
areas that have earthquakes but no
volcanoes.
b The Himalayas, China, Australia and some
b An entire area spreading out just over
10 kilometres from the vent is liable to lava
and pyroclastic flows. These will flow down any
slope and could affect the whole area. The
lahars would only affect the river valleys.
7 Photograph A shows a guided walk and tourist
buses. Photograph B shows tourist buses, a
café/bar and a cable car to the summit. All these
features will provide employment.
8

Earthquakes
parts of Africa, as well as some areas of ocean

mountains
Volcanoes
(e.g. in the South Pacific and South Atlantic

trenches
margin
Type of

Ocean

Ocean
ridges
Oceans), have earthquakes but no volcanoes.

plate

Fold
3 a Most plates do this! You could name any one
of: North American, South American, African, Constructive Yes Yes No No Yes
Eurasian, Indo-Australian, Antarctic. Destructive – Yes Yes No Yes No
b One of Nazca, Pacific, Philippine. two oceanic
c Any of the following plate margins: Nazca- plates
South American, Pacific-Philippine, African-
Destructive – Yes No Yes No No
Eurasian, Indian-Eurasian. There are others
two
which are not named on the map.
continental
d Any one of the following plate margins:
plates
Nazca-Pacific, Antarctic-Pacific, North American-
Eurasian, North American-African, South Destructive – Yes Yes Yes Yes No
American-African. an oceanic
plate and a
4 Subduction – The process where plates converge continental
and one plate is forced beneath the other. plate
Magma – Molten rock beneath the Earth’s
Conservative Yes No No No No
surface.
Plate – The upper, colder, rigid parts of the Earth’s
surface, made up of the crust and upper mantle. 9 a Small earthquakes.
Plate margin – Where two plates meet. b A crack (fissure) 1600 metres long.
Compression – A type of stress which involves c Many boats were in the harbour. Without
forces that meet from opposite directions. these, it would not have been possible to
evacuate so many people in such a short
5  
The Atlantic Ocean is getting wider (by about
period of time.
8 centimetres a year). This is mainly because
d 5000.
new oceanic plate is being created at the
e The ash buried buildings by up to 4 metres.
constructive margin in the centre (the Mid-
Many buildings collapsed under the weight.
Atlantic Ridge). There are also very few areas
f The lava destroyed many buildings – about a
in the Atlantic with destructive plate margins.
third of the town. It threatened to block off the
 The Pacific Ocean is shrinking. There are harbour entrance. It created about 2 square
destructive plate margins most of the way kilometres of new land.
round it. There is one constructive margin g The harbour entrance was made more
(the East Pacific Rise), but the rate at which sheltered from rough seas. More land was
new plate is being created is not as great as created. A new source of building materials
the rate at which plate is being destroyed by was also created.
subduction at the edges. h 225 metres above sea level.
It is impossible to tell from the evidence on
the map whether the Indian Ocean is growing 10 a Plates collide, or move away from each other
or shrinking. or slide past each other. This builds up
pressure or stress. The rocks crack and move,
6 a  Lava destroys buildings; rarely results in forming a fault. The energy is released and
the loss of life. travels out through the Earth as a shock wave.
 Pyroclastic flows kill large numbers of
people and destroy buildings; impossible to
escape from.
 Lahars (mudflows) wash away buildings,
roads, bridges and people.

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© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2012
 Chapter 3 Answers
b The Mercalli Scale describes the effects of an
earthquake. There will be more severe effects
and therefore higher Mercalli values closest to
the epicentre. The highest value is X11 – total
destruction. The Richter Scale shows the amount
of energy released by the earthquake. An
earthquake has just one Richter value.
11  
The Haiti earthquake involves a destructive
plate margin between the Caribbean and North
American Plates. It is a complicated plate
boundary.
 In Japan, the earthquake was related to the
plate boundary where the Pacific and Eurasian
Plates collide. These plates are moving
towards each other at a rate of 83 millimetres
a year. The Pacific Plate is subducted beneath
the Eurasian Plate.
12 a Your table could use the following headings:
effects on people (deaths, injured, homeless,
disease), buildings, houses, transport
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© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2012
C O M P LETE GEO GR A P HY FO R C A M B R I D GE I GCSE
facilities, industry, social infrastructure (food,
power, water supply). You could note that the
main effects in Haiti were the collapse of
buildings but in Japan it was the tsunami.
b Your answer should include details about the
following for both countries: type of buildings
and houses, strength of government,
earthquake drills, economy, sea defences.
c Your answer should include details about the
following for both countries: speed of
response, medical facilities, transport, water
supply and power repairs, emergency aid.
Obviously Japan faired better – partly because
it’s a wealthier country and was better
prepared in the first place. However, the scale
of the problem was much worse in Haiti, so
the response had to be much greater and was
a huge challenge for this LEDC.