Geology 122
Geology 122
JAVELOSA, Luis Antonio A.
2008-68085
Plate tectonics as expressed in geological landforms and events: An exploration using global data and global visualization tools
JAPAN (Convergent):
Japan features a very interesting series of geomorphological features. The island lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire that is characterized by having active volcanic and tectonic activity. Due to its geomorphology, the area is very vulnerable to environmental hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic activity. The country lies atop 4 converging major plate boundaries: the Pacific plate, the Philippine plate, the Othosk plate, and the Eurasian plate. The tectonic activity is tremendous, with around 1,500 earthquakes occurring every yeari.
The landscape shown in Figure 1 is a result of 4 converging plate boundaries that form 5 major arc-trench systems in the country: the Kuril Trench, Japan Trench, Izu-Bonin Trench, Ryuku Trench (partially pictured), and Nankai Trough.
Here, we can observe that the trenches (yellow line) are parallel to the volcanoes (red dots). You can almost draw a straight line to connect all the volcanoes. Moreover, the data above is evidence of the presence of subduction zones wherein the collision of two plate boundaries causes the denser plate to sink below the less dense plate into the asthenosphere. This type of tectonic activity promotes the formation of volcanic island arc-trench systems. The arc-trench systems are located in the active margin (an area immediate to plate boundaries).
Another interesting feature in Japan’s geomorphology is the formation of its mountains. Japanese mountains are substantially smaller than those in the Andes or Himalayas and are part of a complex mountain-valley systemii. Generally, mountains and valleys alternate throughout the country. It is quite uncommon to find areas of no topographical relief in the country.
The country’s mountains can be classified into 7 major types according to relief:
Type I
JAVELOSA, Luis Antonio A.
2008-68085
Plate tectonics as expressed in geological landforms and events: An exploration using global data and global visualization tools
JAPAN (Convergent):
Japan features a very interesting series of geomorphological features. The island lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire that is characterized by having active volcanic and tectonic activity. Due to its geomorphology, the area is very vulnerable to environmental hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic activity. The country lies atop 4 converging major plate boundaries: the Pacific plate, the Philippine plate, the Othosk plate, and the Eurasian plate. The tectonic activity is tremendous, with around 1,500 earthquakes occurring every yeari.
The landscape shown in Figure 1 is a result of 4 converging plate boundaries that form 5 major arc-trench systems in the country: the Kuril Trench, Japan Trench, Izu-Bonin Trench, Ryuku Trench (partially pictured), and Nankai Trough.
Here, we can observe that the trenches (yellow line) are parallel to the volcanoes (red dots). You can almost draw a straight line to connect all the volcanoes. Moreover, the data above is evidence of the presence of subduction zones wherein the collision of two plate boundaries causes the denser plate to sink below the less dense plate into the asthenosphere. This type of tectonic activity promotes the formation of volcanic island arc-trench systems. The arc-trench systems are located in the active margin (an area immediate to plate boundaries).
Another interesting feature in Japan’s geomorphology is the formation of its mountains. Japanese mountains are substantially smaller than those in the Andes or Himalayas and are part of a complex mountain-valley systemii. Generally, mountains and valleys alternate throughout the country. It is quite uncommon to find areas of no topographical relief in the country.
The country’s mountains can be classified into 7 major types according to relief:
Type I
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