volcano, earthquake, tsunami

1. 1.5 Plate tectonics theory
29 January 2015
What is an
earthquake and
what causes
them?

2. Aims
• Explain that tectonic plates are identified by
the Earth processes that occur at their
margins

3. Romania: The world rests on the divine pillars
of Faith, Hope, and Charity. When the deeds of
human beings make one of the pillars weak,
the Earth is shaken.
Japan: A great catfish lies curled up under the
sea, with the islands of Japan resting on his
back. A demigod holds a heavy stone over his
head to keep him from moving. But once in a
while, the demigod is distracted. The catfish
moves, and the Earth trembles.
Greece: Strong, wild winds are trapped and
held in underground caves. They struggle to
escape. Earthquakes are the result of this
struggle.
Belgium: When people on Earth are very, very
sinful, God sends an angry angel to strike the
air that surrounds our planet. That produces a
vibration that is felt on Earth as a series of
shocks.
West Africa: The Earth is a fat disk, held up on
one side by an enormous mountain and on the
other by a giant. The giant’s wife holds up the
sky. The Earth trembles whenever he stops to
hug her.
Central America: The square Earth is held up at
its four corners by four gods, the Vishakmen.
When they decide that the Earth is becoming
overpopulated, they tip it to get rid of the
extra people.
For each legend, decide whether the cause of earthquakes
was:
• nothing to do with humans
• a punishment for human behaviour

13. Read chapter P1 D
• Answer questions in book