For this class, I did an assignment where I used google earth to track current and active volcanoes and earthquakes as they had recently happened. |
Reflection on the assignment
While doing this assignment I realized that there is a large coorelation between earthquakes and volcanoes. It seems like they are both extremely dependent on the activity of plate tectonics, and can influence each other immensely. I learned that even though a high scoring earthquate may occur, it doesn't mean that the damage is going to be severe. I learned that most of the earthquakes that occur, happen on or near a plate boundary. Most volcanoes are also located on or near a plate boundary. I found it interesting that earthquakes are usually happening near a volcanic eruption. It is really rare for a volcanic eruption or earthquake to occur in the middle of a plate, but it can happen. The makeup of the earth is extremely important to understand when trying to learn about natural disasters. You need to understand everything from the earth layers and tectonics to the magnetic poles. This seemingly dormant earth we live on is in fact extremely active, and it's just a matter of time before we in Utah are severly impacted by the movement of tectonic plates. As we learn and progress in our understanding of the earth, we can better prepare for the violence that the earth has to offer in the future.
