Kamchatka earthquakes

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kamchatka-earthquakes

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the plate boundary type?Convergent plate boundary, specifically the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone
2. What is the dominant seismic hazard?Megathrust earthquakes with magnitudes often exceeding 8.0, capable of generating destructive tsunamis
3. What causes earthquakes in Kamchatka?The Pacific Plate slides under the North American Plate, building up pressure until it breaks, causing a big quake.
4. Why do tsunamis happen after Kamchatka earthquakes?The quake pushes the ocean floor up or down, moving water and creating a tsunami.

Convergent Plate Boundary: A boundary where two tectonic plates move towards each other, leading to subduction or collision.
Subduction: The process where one tectonic plate slides beneath another into the Earth's mantle.
Plate Interface: The boundary zone between two tectonic plates, particularly where one is sliding beneath the other in a subduction zone.