1

DISTRIBUTION:
Volcanoes,
Earthquake Epicenters,

LESSO
and Mountain Ranges

N
LESSON
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to;

1. Give examples of famous volcanoes, major earthquakes and great

mountain ranges around the world
2. Locate the volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and mountain ranges on
different parts of the Earth; and
3. Infer that these geographic features are distributed on specific places
on Earth
4. Relate the distribution of these geologic activities to Plate Tectonic
Theory
 ENRICH YOUR
H
VOCABULARY!
D O D K J G S S C R U S T

B K K P Q W R L Y T U I L P

O M A N T L E I J K L B N M

U K L M O U N T A I N K B M

N F W C F L T H P T S O D J

D G H N G H Y O L G X Y S F

A S T H E N O S P H E R E X

R J J A Y K T P K D C T S S

Y T K B D H N H M F V R F E

R W V N H T D E U H B T A W

V O L C A N O R J J N F U Q

L T Y F G B M E E B M G L A

S E A R T H Q U A K E N T Z
 ENRICH YOUR
H
VOCABULARY!
D O D K J G S S C R U S T
B K K P Q W R L Y T U I L P

O M A N T L E I J K L B N M

U K L M O U N T A I N K B M

N F W C F L T H P T S O D J

D G H N G H Y O L G X Y S F

A S T H E N O S P H E R E X

R J J A Y K T P K D C T S S

Y T K B D H N H M F V R F E

R W V N H T D E U H B T A W

V O L C A N O R J J N F U Q

L T Y F G B M E E B M G L A

S E A R T H Q U A K E N T Z
Volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and mountain ranges all over the world are
not randomly distributed. They are heavily concentrated in few areas of the
world that are along or close to the plate.
Pacific Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. It appears to be in a shape of a horseshoe.
VOLCANIC
BELT
A volcanic belt is a large volcanically active region, they are mostly
found above zones of unusually high temperatures where magma is
created by partial melting of solid materials in the crust and upper
mantle.
Table 1.1 Famous Volcanoes in the World
Volcano Location
Kilauea Hawaii, USA
St. Helens Washington, USA
Fuji Tokyo, Japan
Pinatubo Philippines
Mayon Philippines
Krakatoa Indonesia
Etna Italy
Cotopaxi Ecuador
EARTHQUAKE
BELT
The global distribution of earthquakes is similar to that of volcanoes.
Earthquakes commonly occur along plate boundaries. This is the area where
the Pacific Ring of Fire is found, which has the highest incidence of
earthquakes. About 70% of the world’s earthquakes occur in this region.

Table 1.2 Major Earthquakes Around the World

Location Date Magnitude Damage
Lamjung, Nepal April 25, 2015 7.8 7000 deaths, 180 buildings destroyed

Bohol, Philippines October 15, 2013 7.1 32 deaths

Gansu, China July 22, 2013 5.9 95 deaths
Sichuan, China April 20, 20013 6.6 160 deaths, 5000 wounded

Tohoku, Japan March 11, 2011 9 15000 deaths, 26000 injured, tsunami

Aceh, Indonesia December 26, 2004 9.1 230 deaths, caused tsunami
MOUNTAIN
BELT
The mountain belt is where the great mountain ranges are located. Most
mountain ranges are located along plate boundaries where collision plates
occurs. Most of the highest mountain ranges in the world are found in
Asia.
Table 1.1 Famous Volcanoes in the World
Volcano Location
Kilauea Hawaii, USA
St. Helens Washington, USA
Fuji Tokyo, Japan
Pinatubo Philippines
Mayon Philippines
Krakatoa Indonesia
Etna Italy
Cotopaxi Ecuador
Mountain Range is made of a series of mountains that are close together
and extend for hundreds or thousands of kilometers (km).

Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges Himalayas Andes Mountains

Philippines Bhutan, China, Nepal Chile, Argentina
PACIFIC RING OF
FIRE

You learned previously

that the Philippines is
part of the Pacific Ring
of Fire.
PACIFIC RING OF
FIRE

This means that our country and other places

located in the Pacific Ring of Fire experience
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other tectonic
activities.
PLATE TECTONIC
THEORY

The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust,
the lithosphere, is separated into plates that move over the
asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle. Oceanic and
continental plates come together, spread apart, and interact at
boundaries all over the planet.
Internal Structure of the Earth
EARTH’S
LITHOSPHERE

Earth’s lithosphere is composed of layers; the

crust and the upper part of the mantle.

The crust is made up of variety of solid rocks like sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous.
It has an average density of 2.8 g/ and its thickness ranges from 5 to 50km.
CONTINENTAL AND OCEANIC
CRUSTS
There are two types of crusts: OCEANIC CRUST and CONTINENTAL CRUST.
Can you tell the differences between the two?

BASALT ROCKS

GRANITE ROCKS
CONTINENTAL AND OCEANIC
CRUSTS
Table 1.
PROPERTIES OF CONTINENTAL AND OCEANIC CRUSTS
PARAMETERS CONTINENTAL CRUST OCEANIC CRUST
 Granitic rocks which are made up  Basaltic rocks which consist of
Composition relatively lightweight minerals. heavier minerals.
 Mostly above sea level  Mostly above sea level

Density 2.7 g/ 2.9 g/

Thickness 25 to 70 km 7 to 10 km
Take a long time to create but are
Constantly renewed; oldest are less
Age rarely destroyed; 3.8 billion to 4
than 200 million years old.
billion years old.
Coverage 71% of the Earth’s surface 29% of the Earth’s surface
CONTINENTAL AND OCEANIC
CRUSTS
Here are the differences and similarities between Continental and Oceanic crusts.

CONTINENTAL CRUST OCEANIC CRUST

 Less dense  More dense

 Made mostly of Granite  Made up of  Made mostly of Basalt
 Thickness: 25 to 70km rocks  Thickness: 7-10km
 Older rocks  Solid  Younger or newer rocks
 Make up tectonic plates
 Part of the Lithosphere
LITHOSPERIC
PLATES
According to Plate Tectonics Model, the entire lithosphere of the Earth is broken into numerous
segments called Plates.
LITHOSPERIC
PLATES
What makes this map different
from other maps? What does
these broad lines represent?
The map shows that the outer shell/layer of the Earth, the Lithosphere, is broken
up into tectonic plates that are gradually moving. The broad line represents the
Plate Boundaries.
LITHOSPERIC
PLATES
What do you think are the bases
of our scientists in marking the
plate boundaries? Let’s examine
the following maps!
Major Plate Tectonics
Distribution of Major Earthquakes
Distribution of Major Active Volcanoes
Distribution of Major Mountain Ranges
 LEGEND

Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Mountains

Now, let’s put altogether all the maps!

 LEGEND

Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Mountains

What can you observe on the distribution of these

geologic features?
 LEGEND

Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Mountains
Plate Tectonics

Can you tell now the bases of our scientists in

marking the plate boundaries?
VOLCANOES
A volcano is an opening in the Earth's crust that allows molten rock,
gases, and debris to escape to the surface.

Volcanoes are formed in subduction zones.

Subduction is the convergent movement of tectonic plates whereby a
denser plate is pushed beneath a lighter one.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING
SUBDUCTION?
 The oceanic plate goes down.
 As the denser oceanic plate
subducts beneath the
continental plate and descends
into the mantle.
 The temperature increases,
causing the rocks to melt and
form magma .

Oceanic-Continental Subduction
OCEANIC-OCEANIC
SUBDUCTION The same mechanism occur between
oceanic plates with different densities;

 The denser plate subducts

beneath another.
 Such activity may result in the
formation of underwater
volcanoes.

Oceanic-Oceanic Subduction
OCEANIC-OCEANIC
SUBDUCTION Through time, volcanic debris from
the eruption of underwater or
submarine volcanoes pile up until an
island volcano rises above sea level.

The interaction between the Pacific

Plate and the Philippine Plate is an
example of an oceanic-oceanic
convergence.

Oceanic-Oceanic Subduction
EARTHQUAKE
S
 An earthquake refers to the shaking of the Earth as a result of the
breaking of shifting of the rocks of the tectonic plates, which releases
seismic energy.

Earthquakes occur because of the pressure underneath the Earth’s crust that pushes blocks
of rocks to move along fault line.
FA U LT
S
Faults are cracks on the Earth’s crust. The surface where the blocks slip
past each other is called Fault Plane.

THREE TYPES OF FAULTS:

 Normal Fault
 Reverse Fault
 Strike-slip Fault
NORMAL
FAULT
Fault Plane
A normal fault is a dip slip fault
where a block that sits on the fault
plane, called hanging wall, slips
downward with respect to the
footwall. Along the dip angle.
Normal Fault near
Moab, Utah
REVERSE
FAULT
A reverse fault is another type of
dip slip fault where the block of the footw
a ll
Earth’s crust pushes upward and
along the dip angle.

Fault Plane
 Reverse Fault in
Teran Wash, Arizona
STRIKE-SLIP
FAULT
The plates move in opposite
directions and, when the plates get
stuck and stop moving, energy builds
up between them.

Energy reverberates through the

crust and mantle, releasing seismic
waves that we feel as an
earthquake.
San Andreas Fault
California, USA
FOCUS AND
EPICENTER
Focus- the point within the Earth where
tectonic plate rocks start to break and where
seismic energy is first released.

Epicenter- a point on the Earth’s surface,

directly above the focus, from which the
shock waves of an earthquake apparently
radiate. 

Focus and Epicenter of an

Earthquake
FOCUS AND
EPICENTER
During an earthquake, energy
travels through the Earth in the
form of seismic waves.

Seismic Waves are the waves of energy

caused by the sudden breaking of rock
within the earth or an explosion. They are
the energy that travels through the earth and
is recorded on seismographs.
Focus and Epicenter of an
Earthquake
FOCUS AND
EPICENTER Earthquakes are strongest at the epicenter
than at any other point on the Earth’s surface
since it is directly above the source of the
rupture (focus).

Earthquakes from shallow epicenters

cause the most damage as energy is more
concentrated, and seismic waves travels
faster through a shorter distance in all
directions to the surface.
Focus and Epicenter of an
Earthquake
MOUNTAIN
RANGES
 Mountains are large landforms that rise well above the ground and have
steep slopes and a peak generally higher than a hill.

Orogenesis refers to the process of forming mountains and mountain ranges. It involves the
collision of plates and forces of compression.
Mountain Range is made of a series of mountains that are close together
and extend for hundreds or thousands of kilometers (km).

Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges Himalayas Andes Mountains

Philippines Bhutan, China, Nepal Chile, Argentina
M O U N TA I N
RANGES
Tectonic plates may move toward the each other and push landmasses
upwards to form mountains and mountain ranges.

Mountains and mountain ranges are classified according to:

1. Origin
2. Manner by which they are produced by the different forces of the
Earth.
FOLDED
MOUNTAINS
Formed through plate convergence.

 Continental plate is subducted beneath

another continental plate.
 The immense forces of compression fold
the crust to develop mountain ranges.

Continental-Continental
Subduction
FOLDED
MOUNTAINS

 In simple terms, it is formed when layers

of the Earth crust are folded by
compression.
FOLDED
MOUNTAINS
In simple terms, it is formed when layers
of the Earth crust are folded by
compression.

The Himalayas in Asia was formed after the

Indian Plate and the Tibetan Plate collided.
It also has the highest peak, which is the
Mount Everest.
Himalayas