Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit teaches pupils about the physical processes that lead to tectonic hazards and investigates the geographical pattern of hazards across the world. Pupils will also learn how tectonic hazards affect people in different places and how people seek to manage hazards.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to categorise primary and secondary effects of earthquakes and explain why some earthquakes are more deadly than others.

Key Notes

• Primary effects happen directly as a result of an earthquake, for example broken gas pipes.
• Secondary effects happen as a result of an earthquake's primary effects, for example a fire.
• Earthquake severity depends on the magnitude, focus depth, epicentre location, aftershocks, preparations and response.
• Some of the deadliest and costliest earthquake events have occurred in high income countries.

Vocabulary To Learn

• magnitude: how much energy is released during an earthquake, often measured in Mw (moment magnitude)
• epicentre: where the earthquake is first felt, the point on the surface directly above the focus
• focus: the point underground where the tectonic plates first break or slip

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• A dangerous earthquake event is when the ground shakes, once. Then the danger is over.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Earthquakes Study Guide
• Inside Earth Study Guide
• Living close to volcanoes Study Guide
• Living in earthquake regions Study Guide
• Plate boundaries Study Guide
• The 2018 Sunda Strait Tsunami Study Guide
• The 2025 Myanmar Earthquake Study Guide
• The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo Study Guide
• The movement of tectonic plates Study Guide
• Types of volcanoes Study Guide
• Volcanic hazards Study Guide