أمجد ايهاب شعبان السيد: االسم
الفرقة الثانية، انجليزي: القسم
section : A1
Earthquakes In Mexico
Situated atop three of the large tectonic plates that constitute the earth’s surface, Mexico is one
of the most seismologically active regions on earth.
Most of the Mexican landmass rests on the westward moving North American plate. The Pacific
Ocean floor off southern Mexico, however, is being carried northeast by the underlying motion
of the Cocos plate. Ocean floor material is relatively dense; when it strikes the lighter granite of
the Mexican landmass, the ocean floor is forced under the landmass, creating the deep Middle
American trench that lies off Mexico’s southern coast. The westward moving land atop the North
American plate is slowed and crumpled where it meets the Cocos plate, creating the mountain
ranges of southern Mexico. The subduction of the Cocos plate accounts for the frequency of
earthquakes near Mexico’s southern coast. As the rocks constituting the ocean floor are forced
down, they melt, and the molten material is forced up through weaknesses in the surface rock,
creating the volcanoes in the Cordillera Neovolcanic across central Mexico.
Areas off Mexico’s coastline on the Gulf of California, including the Baja California Peninsula,
are riding northwestward on the Pacific plate. Rather than one plate subducting, the Pacific and
North American plates grind past each other, creating a slip fault that is the southern extension of
the San Andreas fault in California. Motion along this fault in the past pulled Baja California
away from the coast, creating the Gulf of California. Continued motion along this fault is the
source of earthquakes in western Mexico.
Mexico has a long history of destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In September 1985,
an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale and centered in the subduction zone off
Acapulco killed more than 4,000 people in Mexico City, more than 300 kilometers away. Volcan
de Colima, south of Guadalajara, which erupted in 1994, is Mexico’s most active volcano. El
Chichon, in southern Mexico, underwent a violent eruption in 1983. Paricuton in northwest
Mexico began as puffs of smoke in a cornfield in 1943; a decade later the volcano was 2,700
meters high. Although dormant for decades, Popocatopetl and Ixtaccohuatl (“smoking warrior”
and “white lady,” respectively, in Nohuatl) occasionally send out puffs of smoke clearly visible
in Mexico City, a reminder to the capital’s inhabitants that volcanic activity is near. Popocatopetl
showed renewed activity in 1995 and 1996, forcing the evacuation of several nearby villages and
causing concern by seismologists and government officials about the effect that a large-scale
eruption might have on the heavily populated region nearby.
أمجد ايهاب شعبان السيد: االسم
الفرقة الثانية، انجليزي: القسم
section : A1
1- When the ocean floor strikes the Mexican landmass, what is the reason for the
ocean floor to go underneath it?
a- Due to the Mexican landmass being too dense.
b- Due to the ocean floor being less dense than the Mexican landmass.
c- Due to the Mexican landmass being made of low density granite.
2- What form of geographical manifestation is the result of ocean floor material
going underneath the granite landmass in Mexico?
a- An amount of volcanos that account for the earthquakes in Mexico
b- Volcan de Colima
c- The middle American trench
3- due to what the volcanoes in the Cordillera Neovolcanic across central Mexico
are formed?
a- Due to the destructive earthquakes all over the years along with the faults that
were formed over the decades.
b- Due to the ocean floor being forced down the landmass, melting, then the
molten material being forced up the weakness in the rock.
c- Due to the Pacific and North American plates grinding past each other, creating
a slip fault.
أمجد ايهاب شعبان السيد: االسم
الفرقة الثانية، انجليزي: القسم
section : A1
4- What was the measure of the earthquake that took place in 1985 on the
Richter scale?
a- 9.1
b- 8.0
c- 8.1
5- How the slip fault being formed is different than other geographical
manifestations?
a- Cause its formed by One plate subducting underneath another one of their own
kind, of the same materials.
b- Instead of one plate subducting, two plates are grinding past each other.
c- Its formed due to earthquakes that are formed only by volcanic eruptions.
6- What are the current evidence that the volcanic eruptions are still active in
Mexico?
a- Popocatopetl and Ixtaccohuatl occasional smoke puffs which are visible in
Mexico city
b- Finding the structure of volcanos becoming higher year by year.
c- Government officials being strict about applying procedures, in case of a
volcano eruption.
أمجد ايهاب شعبان السيد: االسم
الفرقة الثانية، انجليزي: القسم
section : A1
Answer key:
1- c
2- c
3- b
4- c
5- b
6- a
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary :
word synonyms translation
seismologically Seismographically الناحية الزلزالية
subduction subtraction اندساس
constituting Found/create/initiate تشكيل
underwent ubdergo خضعت
dormant passive خامل
inhabitants Resident/population سكان
evacuation Eviction/clearance اخالء
landmass Solid ground يابسة
dense thick سميك
slip fault - الفالق المنزلق