56. The island of Iceland is located at a divergent plate boundary. At this boundary, the North American plate and the Eurasian plate are moving apart. What is expected about natural hazards in Iceland, based on its tectonic setting?
Answer: D
There is high risk of both volcanism and earthquakes.
Iceland's location at a divergent plate boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates leads to significant geological activity. This tectonic setting results in both a high risk of volcanism and the occurrence of earthquakes.
A) There is high risk of large earthquakes and low risk of volcanism.
This option is incorrect because, while there is a risk of earthquakes at divergent boundaries, the volcanic activity is notably high due to the formation of new crust as the plates move apart. Therefore, characterizing the risk of volcanism as low contradicts the geological realities of Iceland.
B) There is low risk of both volcanism and earthquakes.
This option is also incorrect. Given Iceland's unique position on a divergent plate boundary, it experiences both high levels of seismic activity and frequent volcanic eruptions. Thus, stating a low risk for both hazards misrepresents the tectonic dynamics at play.
C) There is high risk of volcanism and low risk of large earthquakes.
This option is misleading because it acknowledges the high risk of volcanism, which is accurate, but incorrectly minimizes the risk of earthquakes. In fact, earthquakes can occur frequently in Iceland due to the tectonic movements, making this option partially correct but ultimately inaccurate.
D) There is high risk of both volcanism and earthquakes.
This option correctly identifies the geological characteristics of Iceland. The divergence of the tectonic plates results in frequent volcanic eruptions as magma rises to fill the gap, along with significant seismic activity from the stresses caused by the plate movements.
Conclusion
The correct answer, D, is accurate because Iceland's location at a divergent plate boundary inherently results in an environment prone to both volcanism and seismic events. All other options fail to capture the reality of the geological hazards present in Iceland, either by underestimating volcanic activity or misrepresenting the risk of earthquakes.