1. © F.Ciangura Volcanoes and Earthquakes This is the earth as seen from space… but do you know what is there beneath the surface?

2. The continents and oceans are found on the crust. Below the crust there is the mantle- molten rock The core is very, very hot and it is solid

3. © F.Ciangura Convectional Currents The core heats the mantle and this starts to boil and moves in circles. This movement is called convectional currents. The core heats the mantle and this starts to boil and moves in circles. This movement is called convectional currents. The crust is then pulled apart and moved. The crust is divided into pieces known as plates. The crust is then pulled apart and moved. The crust is divided into pieces known as plates.

4. © F.Ciangura These plates have always been moving, and so moving the continents with them. Millions of years ago, the continents formed one single land mass known as Pangaea.

5. © F.Ciangura Here is a map showing the major plates When these plates move, they cause earthquakes and volcanoes

6. © F.Ciangura Earthquakes

7. Click on the image to see what happens in an earthquake

8. © F.CianguraTsunami These gigantic waves happen when a submarine earthquake moves large quantities of ocean Click on the photo to see the tsunami coming!

9. © F.Ciangura Seismograph A seismograph is an instrument used to measure earthquake strength. It uses the Richter scale 0-9, where 9 shows a very violent earthquake

10. © F.Ciangura Volcanoes

11. A photo of a volcano from above

12. © F.Ciangura Etna, Sicily

13. © F.Ciangura Mount Vesuvius, Italy

14. © F.Ciangura How a volcano erupts An eruption begins when pressure on a magma chamber forces magma up through the conduit and out the volcano's vents. An eruption begins when pressure on a magma chamber forces magma up through the conduit and out the volcano's vents.

15. © F.Ciangura Different types of lava

16. © F.Ciangura Lava erupting

17. © F.Ciangura The eruption of Vesuvius Pompeii. People living in Pompeii buried by volcanic ash and killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD People living in Pompeii buried by volcanic ash and killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD

18. © F.Ciangura Lava can easily destroy entire towns. In this picture, one of the over 100 houses destroyed by the lava flow in Kalapana, Hawaii in 1990.

19. © F.Ciangura Fold mountains

20. © F.Ciangura

21. Mountain Ranges of the World This image shows the topography of both land and ocean surfaces. Elevation is indicated by color. Some of the major mountain belts on the Earth are the North American Cordillera (A), Appalachians (B), Caledonian Belt (C), Andes (D), Urals (E), Himalaya (F), Alps (G), and the Tasman Belt (H).

22. © F.Ciangura How mountains are built

23. © F.Ciangura Faults and Folds When crust is pushed up, the rocks are folded. Cracks in the rocks can also occur. These are known as faults

24. © F.Ciangura Mountains around the Mediterranean Check this internet site: http://www.euratlas.com/Atlasphys/Apennins2.htm 1- Sierra Morena 2- Sierra Nevada 3- Pyrenees 4- Alps 5- Dinaric Alps 6- Apennines 7- Carpatians 8- Balkans 9- Pindus 10- Taurus 11- Caucasus 12- Atlas 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

25. © F.Ciangura Why are there many mountains around the Mediterranean? Simple, because the African Plate is moving into the Eurasian Plate and so the rocks are folded up, and form big mountain chains. Simple, because the African Plate is moving into the Eurasian Plate and so the rocks are folded up, and form big mountain chains. In this way Malta was also pushed up from under the sea. Fossils are a proof that the Maltese sedimentary rocks once formed under the Tethys sea. In this way Malta was also pushed up from under the sea. Fossils are a proof that the Maltese sedimentary rocks once formed under the Tethys sea.

26. © F.Ciangura Why are there active volcanoes in the Mediterranean? The Mediterranean is an area which has many plate boundaries (the border where the plates meet). Cracks and fissures develop due to the great pressure of the continents pushing into each other and magma rises up to the surface to form volcanoes. Three very important volcanoes are found in Italy: The Mediterranean is an area which has many plate boundaries (the border where the plates meet). Cracks and fissures develop due to the great pressure of the continents pushing into each other and magma rises up to the surface to form volcanoes. Three very important volcanoes are found in Italy: Etna Etna Vesuvius Vesuvius Stromboli Stromboli

27. © F.Ciangura Do we have volcanoes in Malta? NO!!! If there were volcanoes in Malta, we would have igneous rock or lava somewhere in our island, and we all know that the Maltese rocks are SEDIMENTARY rocks! NO!!! If there were volcanoes in Malta, we would have igneous rock or lava somewhere in our island, and we all know that the Maltese rocks are SEDIMENTARY rocks! Malta is not found exactly on plate boundaries so we do not have volcanoes. Malta is not found exactly on plate boundaries so we do not have volcanoes.