EARTHQUAKES STUDY GUIDE AND CHECKLIST
NAME ______________________
Here is what you need to do to prepare for the test:
1) Glance over the Chapter 3 Outline and Objectives (# 54 in your binder) to wrap your head
around everything we did on earthquakes.
2) Study all the old quizzes (# 58, 61, 65, 70, 74, 78). They contain the most important
information from each activity!
3) Fill out the matching for the geo-words below:
4) Answer the questions below regarding the Main Concepts:
1) _______earthquake
A. wave that results from an undersea earthquake
2) _______fault
B. waves released after an earthquake
3) _______shear strength
C. instrument that measures seismic waves
4) _______seismic wave
D. tremor in the earth caused by rocks breaking
5) _______elastic rebound
E. straightening of rocks after deformation and rupturing
6) _______focus
F. a map showing the lines of equal seismicity
7) _______ epicenter
G. amplification of the wave’s energy when frequencies match
8) _______ primary wave
H. surface between rocks that have cracked due to earthquakes
9) _____ secondary wave
I. compression wave that travels fastest
10) _____ fault scarp
J. dangerous natural event
11) _______seismometer
K. point on the earth above the focus
12) _______seismogram
L. level of danger due to a natural phenomenon
13) _______risk
M. vertical offset on the ground when a fault reaches the surface
14) _______hazard
N. point inside the earth where the rock first ruptures
15) _______isoseismal map
O. shear wave that arrives second at the seismometer
16) _______tsunami
P. graph that plots amplitude of seismic activity over time
17) _______resonance
Q. force needed to rupture/break rocks
18) _______ surface waves
R. most destructive waves with rolling motion
MAIN CONCEPTS: ANSWER ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER, UNLESS YOU’RE JUST FILLING IN BLANKS.
1) Activity 1(# 56 in binder): “When stress builds up at a fault zone, ____________________ energy
is stored in the rocks. As soon as the rock ruptures, this potential energy is then transformed into
energy of motion, called _______________ energy. This kinetic energy is then transmitted through
the earth in the form of ______________ ________________ which are recorded with
_________________________________. Waves that arrive first are called __________________
waves and these tend to move the ground ____________________ while the secondary S-waves
move the ground ______________________.
2) Seismic waves lab (# 59 in binder): Seismologists use the ________________ _____________
between P and S waves to estimate the _____________________________________________.
You need at least ______ seismic stations’ data to get the _______________________________
_____________________________________. This process is called _____________________.
If the distance between the seismometer and the epicenter increases, so does the _____________
_______________.
3) Activity 3 (# 62 in binder): What is the difference between the intensity measure of an earthquake
and the magnitude?
4) Activity 3 (# 62): What does it mean when we say the Richter scale is logarithmic
5) Activity 3 Concept map (# 63): How does the underlying geologic material affect the intensity of
earthquakes?
6) Magnitude/intensity chart (# 64): What was the size of the largest magnitude earthquake recorded?
7) Activity 4 (# 66): Why are earthquake zones broader in some areas than others?
8) Activity 4 (# 66): Where do most earthquakes on earth occur?
9) Activity 4 (# 66): What type of plate boundary is more likely to have lots of earthquakes? Circle the
correct answer: convergent / divergent / transform
10) Activity 4 part B (# 66): What is the relationship between a fault and an earthquake?
11) Activity 4 (# 66): What magnitude designation would you assign to Colorado’s earthquake risk?
12) Activity 4 (# 66): What was the magnitude of the largest recorded earthquake in Colorado?
13) Activity 4 (# 66): Compare 6.2 and 8.2 earthquakes: A 8.2 has ____ times the intensity in ground
motion but ____ more energy.
14) Activity 4 concept map (# 66): Which part of the US is most seismically active?
15) Colorado earth quake chart (# 68): The average Colorado earthquake is magnitude ____ on the
Richter scale.
16) Activity 5 (# 71): What is the difference between direct and indirect earthquake hazards? Give
examples of each category.
17) Note packet (# 77): What is the definition of “frequency”?
18) Note packet (#77): What is the definition of resonance?
19) Article (# 76): Which building type, tall or short, has a higher natural frequency of vibration and
therefore a greater chance of resonating with the frequency of an incoming seismic wave?
20) Note packet (#77): What are the two main approaches to minimizing earthquake damage to
buildings? Explain each approach and give examples.
Wave
name
P-wave
S-wave
Relative speed
Wave type
Resulting ground motion