Physical geography · Both
Tectonic Hazards
Tectonic hazards have natural causes but human factors strongly affect the scale of disaster.
Boundaries
• **Destructive (convergent)** – subduction; volcanoes and strong earthquakes
• **Constructive (divergent)** – plates move apart; volcanoes, milder quakes
• **Conservative (transform)** – plates slide past; earthquakes (e.g. San Andreas)
Why impacts vary
• Magnitude / depth / distance from epicentre
• Building standards and wealth
• Population density
• Prediction, planning and emergency response
• Secondary effects (fires, disease, tsunamis)
Worked example
Why might a similar magnitude quake kill more people in one country than another?
Solution: Weaker buildings, higher density, poorer emergency services and less preparation increase deaths and damage.
Practice questions
1. Name three plate boundary types.
2. Give two reasons impacts differ between places.