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How to Study Interrelationships  

Identify

Step 1: Identify the features that an Interrelationship may exist within or between.

Within means that Feature A and B exist in the same location and influence each other. Between means that Feature A causes or influences Feature B which exists somewhere else.

The features being studied are the location of earthquakes and the location of tectonic plate boundaries. There appears to be an interrelationship because earthquakes are observed within a close proximity to a tectonic plate boundary.

Step 2: Identify the type of interrelationship.

There are four types, each connecting human (man made/man controlled) features or natural features (controlled or created by natural forces).

• Human - Human (e.g., The wealth of a country determines how quickly it recovers and rebuilds after a natural disaster.)
• Human - Natural (e.g., Forestry operations destabilize mountain slopes that can lead to landslides.)
• Natural - Human (e.g., The location where hurricanes make landfall affects the cost of home insurance.)
• Natural - Natural (e.g., Volcanoes occur along tectonic plate boundaries.)

This is a Natural-Natural relationship because both tectonic boundaries and earthquake activity are naturally occurring process not created or controlled by humans.

Determine

Step 3: Determine how related features connect to form a system.

If Feature A and Feature B appear to be related, what is the relationship and what causes the relationship?

How does a change in Feature A create an effect in Feature B?

As one tectonic plate slides past, over or away from another, the ground around it shifts. These shifting events release large amounts of energy in the form of shock waves  called earthquakes. Thus, tectonic activity along plate boundaries causes earthquakes.

How strong is the relationship? Does A always cause B or only in some situations?  

Based on the close proximity of most earthquakes to a plate boundary, it is clear that the interrelationship between the two features is strongly correlated.

Analyse

Step 4: Analyse how the system of related features influences natural characteristics or processes.

Does it increase or decrease natural processes?

Locations along plate boundaries often show predictable landscapes. Convergent boundaries result in mountainous landscapes while divergent boundaries often result in valleys known as rifts.

Step 5: Analyse how the system of related features influences human activity. Does it help people? Does it hurt people?

(e.g., Large volcanic eruptions cause crop failure and famine in the years that follow the eruption.This results in great levels of human suffering and death.

All types of tectonic boundary movement can cause earthquakes. Depending on how close a human population is to the boundary and the type of boundary in action, significant risk of building collapse and subsequent human injury are possible.

Final Report

The features being studied are the location of earthquakes and the location of tectonic plate boundaries. There appears to be an interrelationship because earthquakes are observed within a close proximity to a tectonic plate boundary.

This is a Natural-Natural relationship because both tectonic boundaries and earthquake activity are naturally occurring process not created or controlled by humans.

As one tectonic plate slides past, over or away from another, the ground around it shifts. These shifting events release large amounts of energy in the form of shock waves  called earthquakes. Thus, tectonic activity along plate boundaries causes earthquakes.

Based on the close proximity of most earthquakes to a plate boundary, it is clear that the interrelationship between the two features is strongly correlated.

Locations along plate boundaries often show predictable landscapes. Convergent boundaries result in mountainous landscapes while divergent boundaries often result in valleys known as rifts.

All types of tectonic boundary movement can cause earthquakes. Depending on how close a human population is to the boundary and the type of boundary in action, significant risk of building collapse and subsequent human injury are possible.