NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ___________________
CLASS: 6-2-____
Chapter 4 Handout: Earthquakes
Standards: S6E5 – Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is formed.
(d- changes in rock; e-plate movement; f-geographical features)
Key Terms:
1. Stress:
2. Tension:
3. Compression:
4. Shearing:
5. Normal fault:
6. Strike-slip fault:
7. Earthquake:
8. Focus:
9. Epicenter:
10.P Waves:
11.S Wave:
12.Surface Waves:
13.Mercalli scale:
14.Magnitude:
15.Richter scale:
16.Seismogram:
17.Aftershock:
18.Tsunami:
(Questions on the BACK!! )
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ___________________
CLASS: 6-2-____
Essential Questions:
1. How does stress affect the energy of a rock?
2. Stress that stretches a rock in two opposite directions is called ___________________
and makes the rock _______________ in the middle.
3. In a strike-slip fault, there is very little motion in what direction?
4. What is the difference in the focus and the epicenter of an earthquake?
5. Seismic waves carry energy from an earthquake ____________ from the __________,
through Earth’s ________________, and ____________ the ___________________.
6. Primary waves, also known as __ waves, move _______________________ (like an
accordion) and are the _________________ waves to arrive.
7. Secondary waves, also known as __ waves, move __________________ and
________________.
8. Which waves travel through solids and liquids?
9. ___________________________________ move more slowly than P waves and S
waves, but produce severe ground movements at earth’s surface.
10.Which scale is used to measure damage to earth’s surface and structures?
11.Which scale is used to rate an earthquakes magnitude?
12.What is the instrument used to measure seismic waves?
13.What do geologists use to locate an earthquake’s epicenter?
14.What is the order (from first to last) that seismic waves arrive at a seismograph?
15.What can scientists tell by the difference between the arrival times of the P waves and
S waves?
16.What is the minimum number of seismograph stations needed to pinpoint an
earthquake’s epicenter?
17. It is in your best interest to be very familiar with Figure 2, Pg 119(hint )
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ___________________
CLASS: 6-2-____
Chapter 4 Handout: Earthquakes
Standards: S6E5 – Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is formed.
(d- changes in rock; e-plate movement; f-geographical features)
Key Terms:
1. Stress: a force that acts on rock to change its shape or volume – p118
2. Tension: stress that stretches rock so that it becomes thinner in the middle - p119
3. Compression: stress that squeezes rock until it folds or breaks – p119
4. Shearing: stress that pushes masses of rock in opposite directions in a sideways
movement – p119
5. Normal fault: a type of fault where the hanging wall slides downward; caused by
tension in the crust – p120
6. Strike-slip fault: a type of fault where rocks on either side move past each other
sideways with little up-or-down motion – p121
7. Earthquake: the shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth’s
surface – p125
8. Focus: the point beneath Earth’s surface where rock breaks under stress and causes an
earthquake - 125
9. Epicenter: the point on Earth’s surface directly above an Earthquake’s focus – p125
10.P Waves: a type of seismic wave that compresses and expands the ground – p127
11.S Wave: a type of seismic wave that moves the ground up and down or side to side –
p127
12.Surface Waves: a type of seismic wave that forms when P waves and S waves reach
the Earth’s surface
13.Mercalli scale: a scale that rates earthquakes according to their intensity and how
much damage they cause at the particular place – p128
14.Magnitude: the measurement of an earthquake’s strength based on seismic waves and
movement along faults – p128
15.Richter scale: a scale that rates an earthquake’s magnitude based on the size of its
seismic wave – p128
16.Seismograph: a device that records ground movements caused by seismic waves as
they move through the earth – p128
17.Seismogram: the record of an earthquake’s seismic waves produced by a seismograph
– p135
18.Aftershock: an earthquake that occurs aftera larger earthquake in the same area –
p136
19.Tsunami: a giant wave usually caused by an earthquake beneath the ocean floor –
p137
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ___________________
CLASS: 6-2-____
Essential Questions:
1. How does stress affect the energy of a rock? p118 Stress is a force, which adds energy to a rock.
2. Stress that stretches a rock in two opposite directions is called tension and makes the rock thinner
in the middle. p 119
3. In a strike-slip fault, there is very little motion in what direction? p121
There is very little motion in an up and down direction.
4. What is the difference in the focus and the epicenter of an earthquake? p125
The focus is the point beneath Earth’s surface where rock breaks under stress and causes an
earthquake. The epicenter is the point on Earth’s surface directly above an Earthquake’s focus.
5. Seismic waves carry energy from an earthquake away from the focus, through Earth’s interior,
and across the surface. p126
6. Primary waves, also known as P waves, move forward and back (compress and expand) (like an
accordion) and are the first waves to arrive. p127
7. Secondary waves, also known as S waves, move side to side and up and down.
8. Which waves travel through solids and liquids? p127
Only P waves travel through solids and liquids.
9. Surface waves move more slowly than P waves and S waves, but produce severe ground
movements at earth’s surface. p127
10. Which scale is used to measure damage to earth’s surface and structures? Mercalli scale p128
11. Which scale is used to rate an earthquakes magnitude? Richter scale p128
12. What is the instrument used to measure seismic waves? Seismopgraph p128
13. What do geologists use to locate an earthquake’s epicenter? Seismic waves p130
14. What is the order (from first to last) that seismic waves arrive at a seismograph? p130
1st - P waves; 2nd- S waves; 3rd – surface waves
15. What can scientists tell by the difference between the arrival times of the P waves and S waves?
p130
The farther away an earthquake is, the greater the time between the arrival of the P&S waves.
16. What is the minimum number of seismograph stations needed to pinpoint an earthquake’s
epicenter? p131
The minimum number of seismograph stations needed to pinpoint an earthquake’s epicenter is 3.
17. It is in your best interest to be very familiar with Figure 2, Pg 119(hint )
TENSION
STRETCHES rock in
opposite directions.
COMPRESSION
SQUEEZES rock until it folds/
breaks.
SHEARING
PUSHES rock in two opposite
directions.
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ___________________
CLASS: 6-2-____