Earth Systems
Why are plate boundaries often zones of both hazards and resources?
Plate boundaries are zones where tectonic plates move, creating intense geological activity. At destructive and constructive boundaries, magma rises toward the surface, forming volcanoes and geothermal heat, which can be used for energy. The same processes also concentrate metallic minerals as magma cools and crystallises, forming ore deposits. However, movement along these boundaries also releases stress in the Earth’s crust, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Therefore, plate boundaries are both hazardous and valuable because the same tectonic processes generate resources and natural hazards.
Why must mineral extraction be balanced with restoration?
Mineral extraction damages land through vegetation removal, soil erosion, and pollution. If land is not restored, ecosystems may not recover and land becomes unusable. Restoration, such as replacing topsoil and replanting vegetation, reduces long-term environmental damage and allows land to be reused. Therefore, extraction must be balanced with restoration to reduce permanent environmental loss.
Why are children more vulnerable to pollution?
Children’s organs and immune systems are still developing, making them more sensitive to toxic substances.
Why does vulnerability vary more than hazard magnitude?
Vulnerability depends mainly on human factors such as wealth, quality of buildings, emergency services, education, and government planning. These vary greatly between countries and communities. In contrast, hazard magnitude is controlled by natural Earth processes and does not depend on human conditions. Therefore, differences in vulnerability usually explain why the same hazard causes very different levels of damage.
Why is sustainability a global issue?
Resources such as minerals, fossil fuels, and forests are shared across the planet, and pollution and climate change affect all countries. Actions taken in one place can impact people elsewhere. Therefore, sustainability requires international cooperation to protect resources and environments for present and future generations.
How does the rock cycle contribute to both resource formation and landscape instability?
The rock cycle forms mineral resources when magma cools and crystallises, producing igneous rocks that can contain valuable ores. Sedimentary processes also concentrate minerals through deposition and compaction. However, the same processes that recycle rocks—weathering, erosion, and tectonic uplift—can destabilise landscapes. Weathering weakens rock structures, while tectonic uplift creates steep slopes. This increases the risk of landslides, rockfalls, and soil erosion. Thus, the rock cycle creates resources but also contributes to unstable environments.
How does recycling change future mining demand?
Recycling provides metals and materials from existing products, reducing the need to extract new ores. This lowers pressure on mineral resources and decreases environmental damage from mining. Although recycling cannot completely eliminate mining, it significantly slows depletion of finite resources.
How are mining pollution and food insecurity linked?
Mining releases heavy metals into soil and water, contaminating crops and water impacting fish. This reduces food quality and availability, increasing hunger and health risks.
How does education reduce disaster deaths?
Education increases people’s understanding of hazards and teaches them how to prepare and respond safely. For example, people learn evacuation routes, emergency procedures, and how to protect themselves during an event. This reduces panic, improves decision-making, and lowers the number of injuries and deaths.
How are energy choices linked to hazard risk?
Different energy sources create different risks. Fossil fuels increase greenhouse gas emissions, which raise the likelihood of climate-related hazards such as floods and droughts. Nuclear energy reduces carbon emissions but creates the risk of radiation accidents. Renewable energy has fewer long-term hazards but can still cause local environmental impacts. Therefore, energy choices influence both environmental and technological risks.
Evaluate the importance of tectonic processes in shaping global energy patterns.
Tectonic processes play a major role in determining where certain energy resources occur. Geothermal energy is concentrated at plate boundaries where magma is close to the surface. Many fossil fuel deposits formed in ancient sedimentary basins created by tectonic subsidence. However, energy availability is also influenced by climate, technology, and economic development. For example, solar energy is abundant in low-latitude regions regardless of tectonics. Therefore, tectonic processes are important but not the only factor shaping global energy patterns.
Evaluate whether economic growth depends on resource exploitation.
Traditional economic growth has relied heavily on extracting raw materials and fossil fuels. However, modern economies can grow through services, technology, and renewable energy. While some resource use is unavoidable, growth does not have to depend entirely on exploitation if countries invest in efficiency and sustainable industries.
Evaluate the relative importance of air vs water pollution.
Air pollution affects large populations through respiratory disease, while water pollution directly contaminates drinking supplies and food chains. Both are serious, but water pollution can also cause long-term ecosystem damage and bioaccumulation. Both are equally critical.
Prediction vs protection: which is more effective?
Prediction helps by giving warnings so people can evacuate, but it is often uncertain and limited in accuracy. Protection measures such as earthquake-resistant buildings, land-use planning, and strong infrastructure reduce damage regardless of whether a warning is received. Therefore, protection is generally more reliable, but the most effective approach is to combine both prediction and protection.
Evaluate the statement: “Humans control nature.”
Humans can manage and reduce some impacts of natural processes through technology and planning, such as flood defences or hazard-resistant buildings. However, humans cannot stop earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or storms from occurring. This means humans can influence nature but do not fully control it.
How can a single tectonic event trigger multiple environmental impacts?
An earthquake can directly cause ground shaking that damages buildings and infrastructure. It may also trigger secondary hazards such as landslides, tsunamis (if it occurs under the sea), and fires from ruptured gas lines. These events can destroy ecosystems, contaminate water supplies, and displace populations. Therefore, one tectonic event can lead to a chain of environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Explain trade-offs between renewable energy development and environmental protection.
Renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but developments such as wind farms and hydroelectric dams can damage habitats and cause visual pollution. This creates a trade-off between reducing climate change and protecting local ecosystems. Careful planning is needed to minimise these impacts.
Why do pollution impacts last long after extraction ends?
Heavy metals and toxic chemicals do not degrade easily. They remain in soil and water for decades, continuing to affect ecosystems and human health.
Why does wealth not eliminate risk?
Wealth allows countries to invest in strong buildings, monitoring systems, and emergency services, which reduces impacts. However, wealthy countries are still exposed to hazards such as earthquakes, storms, and volcanic eruptions. Since hazards cannot be prevented, wealth can reduce vulnerability, but it cannot completely remove risk.
Why do short-term profits conflict with long-term survival?
Activities such as mining, deforestation, and burning fossil fuels generate immediate income and jobs. However, they also degrade ecosystems, reduce resource availability, and increase pollution and climate change. Over time, this threatens food supply, water quality, and human health. Therefore, short-term economic gain can undermine long-term survival.
To what extent are Earth systems predictable?
Earth systems follow general patterns that scientists understand, such as plate movement directions and climate zones. Volcanic eruptions can sometimes be forecast using gas emissions and ground deformation. However, exact timing, location, and magnitude of events like earthquakes remain unpredictable. This is because stress builds up underground in complex ways that cannot be measured precisely. Therefore, Earth systems are partly predictable in terms of patterns, but not in terms of exact events.
Should governments restrict resource extraction?
Governments should regulate extraction to prevent environmental degradation and ensure resources remain available for future generations. However, overly strict limits may harm economic development and employment. A balanced approach using regulation, taxation, and sustainability standards is most effective.
To what extent can technology solve pollution problems?
Technology can reduce emissions and clean polluted sites, but it cannot eliminate pollution without changes in consumption and behaviour. Technology is necessary but not sufficient alone.
Can disasters ever be “natural”?
The hazard itself is natural, but a disaster occurs only when people and property are affected. Poor planning, weak buildings, and high population density increase losses. This shows that disasters result from the interaction between natural hazards and human vulnerability, so they are not purely natural.
To what extent can humans live safely on Earth?
Humans can reduce risk through monitoring, strong infrastructure, education, and sustainable management. However, natural hazards and environmental change will always exist. Therefore, humans can never achieve complete safety, but they can significantly reduce danger through effective management.