What are Earthquakes? QUIZ
Section 1 & 2 – Chapter 5
Name: __________________________ Period ____
Modifications: ______________________________
1. Most earthquakes happen at the edges of
a. tectonic plates.
b. elastic deformations.
c. earthquakes zones.
d. shear waves.
2. What is the main cause of most earthquakes?
a. pressure deep within the earth
c. human activity
b. hurricanes
d. changes in temperature within the earth’s mantle
3. Which of the following is a true statement about tectonic plates?
a.
b.
c.
d.
All tectonic plates are located at the earth’s core
They’re located approximately 10 meters below the surface of the ocean
They’re located in the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust
All of the earth’s landmass rests on tectonic plates
4. What can you infer from the fact that tectonic plates are always moving around?
a.
b.
c.
d.
new volcanoes form every few years
the shape, location, and terrain of Earth’s continents have changed dramatically over time
tectonic activity probably caused the last Ice Age
earthquakes will continue long after hurricanes and tsunamis have stopped
5. Which of the following is a type of body wave?
a. shear wave
b. surface wave
c. reverse wave
d. transform wave
6. How do surface waves compare to P waves?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Surface waves are the slowest waves; P waves are the fastest
P wave produce vertical and horizontal motion; surface waves produce horizontal motion only
P waves are the most dangerous waves; surface waves are the least dangerous
P waves cause volcanic activity; surface waves form trenches
7. Primary seismic waves
a. are slower than secondary waves.
c. can travel through solids, liquids, and gases
b. are the result of shearing forces in rock.
d. cause Earth’s surface to roll up and down.
8. If you saw a building collapse in an earthquake, what could you infer about the type of wave that knocked it down?
a. it was probably a surface wave
c. it was probably a secondary wave
b. it was probably an S wave
d. it was probably a P wave
9. The epicenter of an earthquake is the point of Earth’s surface
a. directly below the focus
c. above the seismic gap
b. directly above the earthquake’s focus
d. where the damage is lightest
10. In the phrase, “The Richter scale measures the potency and duration of seismic events,” what does “potency” mean?
a. speed
b. strength
c. type
d. time
11. What scale is used to measure the strength or amount of energy released in an earthquake?
a. seismogram
b. gap hypothesis
c. Richter
d. Modified Mercalli
12. How much more ground motion does an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 have than one with a magnitude of 4.0?
a. 2 times as much
b. 10 times as much
c. 100 times as much
d. 1000 times as much
13. Which scale is a descriptor scale and changes based on the distance from the epicenter?
a. seismogram
b. gap hypothesis
c. Richter
d. Modified Mercalli
Use the following graph to answer questions 14-17
14. How long does it take for a primary wave to travel 5000 kilometers? (best estimate)
a. 12 minutes
b. 14 minutes
c. 16 minutes
d. 18 minutes
c. 3700 km
d. 3800 km
15. How far does a secondary wave travel in 22 min? (best estimate)
a. 3500 km
b. 3600 km
16. How much time lag at 3500 km will there be between these two waves?
a. 2 minutes
b. 5 minutes
c. 10 minutes
d. 12 minutes
17. Suppose a primary and secondary wave both travel a distance of 4000 kilometers before they are picked up by a
seismograph. Which wave will arrive first?
a. P – wave
b. S - wave