Vanuatu Geology Script

Slide 1:
The Geology of Vanuatu
Slide 2:
Tectonic plates are large pieces of molten rock that make up the earth’s mantle. The outer layer of the earth consists of seven main plates (the African, North American, South American, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, Antarctic and Pacific plates) and multiple smaller ones. Convection currents are heat transfers where heated magma rises and cooled magma sinks. They are caused by large movements of molecules in the asthenosphere and flow under the lithosphere, creating plate movement. This causes the plates to interact with other surrounding plates, which are called tectonic boundaries.
Slide 3:
There are three main types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent and transform. Divergent plates move away from each other, forming new land when magma rises from underneath the crust. This can also create volcanoes, lakes and rift valleys. Convergent plates move towards one another and collide. One plate usually subducts under the other, which surges upwards, often producing earthquakes, volcanic activity, and crustal deformation. Transform plates slide past one another. The friction from the abrasive edges of the plates causes earthquakes, generally followed by tsunamis.
Slide 4:
Vanuatu is a small archipelago of several main …show more content…
From the topographical map, a large ridge is clearly seen: a result of the convergent boundary between the Australian and New Hebrides plates. This relates to the geological history of Vanuatu. The island’s volcanoes are parallel to the boundary due to the subduction zone underneath Vanuatu. The earthquake pattern shows the earthquakes gradually getting deeper as they move further down the subducted Australian plate. The recorded tsunamis are also located near the border of the plates, and are often above the larger clusters of earthquakes, as noted