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Questions and Answers
What is the term for the point inside the Earth where an earthquake starts?
What is the term for the point inside the Earth where an earthquake starts?
A normal fault causes the hanging wall to move up relative to the footwall.
A normal fault causes the hanging wall to move up relative to the footwall.
False
What is the difference between magnitude and intensity in terms of earthquakes?
What is the difference between magnitude and intensity in terms of earthquakes?
Magnitude measures the energy released by an earthquake while intensity measures the severity of ground shaking and its effects.
The ________ is the location directly above the focus on the Earth's surface.
The ________ is the location directly above the focus on the Earth's surface.
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Match the types of faults with their descriptions:
Match the types of faults with their descriptions:
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Which type of seismic wave travels through the Earth's inner layers?
Which type of seismic wave travels through the Earth's inner layers?
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Aftershocks are minor shocks that occur after the main earthquake event.
Aftershocks are minor shocks that occur after the main earthquake event.
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What causes massive earthquakes according to the content?
What causes massive earthquakes according to the content?
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Which body wave is the fastest type of seismic wave?
Which body wave is the fastest type of seismic wave?
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Surface waves travel faster than body waves.
Surface waves travel faster than body waves.
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What type of motion do Rayleigh waves produce?
What type of motion do Rayleigh waves produce?
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The fastest surface waves are known as __________.
The fastest surface waves are known as __________.
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Which of the following layers of the Earth can secondary waves travel through?
Which of the following layers of the Earth can secondary waves travel through?
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Match the wave types with their characteristics:
Match the wave types with their characteristics:
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The calm center of a tropical cyclone is known as the eye.
The calm center of a tropical cyclone is known as the eye.
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What is the purpose of a seismogram?
What is the purpose of a seismogram?
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Study Notes
Earthquake Basics
- An earthquake is the sudden release of strain energy in the Earth's crust, causing shaking that radiates outwards from the source.
- A fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, allowing them to move relative to each other.
- Not every movement of tectonic plates causes an earthquake, and not every region with faults will experience earthquakes.
Earthquake Magnitude and Intensity
- Magnitude measures the amount of energy released by an earthquake, expressed as numbers.
- Intensity measures the severity of ground shaking at a location, based on its effects on people, structures, and the landscape; expressed using Roman numerals.
- Moderate earthquake: Magnitude 5.3
- Strong earthquake: Magnitude 6.3
Types of Faults
- Normal fault: Plates pull apart, hanging wall moves down relative the footwall, typically producing shallow, less powerful earthquakes.
- Reverse fault: Plates push together, hanging wall moves up relative to the footwall, often producing stronger earthquakes.
- Strike-slip fault: Plates move horizontally past each other, also capable of producing powerful earthquakes.
Earthquake Focus and Epicenter
- The focus is the point inside the Earth where the earthquake originates.
- The epicenter is the location directly above the focus on the Earth's surface.
- Epicenter is where the first shaking is felt.
Earthquake Effects & Processes
- Stress can deform rocks. Massive earthquakes are linked to high temperatures deep below the Earth's surface. Man-made earthquakes can be caused by explosions, nuclear tests, etc.
- Compression effect: Plates moving toward each other, forming land.
- Shearing effect: Plates sliding past each other. Decompression can deform previously formed land.
- Footwall: Narrow Top, wide bottom
- Hanging wall: Wide top, narrow bottom
Foreshocks, Mainshocks, Aftershocks
- Foreshocks: Smaller earthquakes preceding a major earthquake
- Mainshocks: Main, largest earthquake event
- Aftershocks: Smaller earthquakes that follow a major earthquake
Seismic Waves
- Seismic waves are waves that travel through and on the Earth's surface, causing shaking and vibrations.
- Two main types of seismic waves are body waves and surface waves.
Body Waves
- Travel through the Earth's interior.
- Arrive before surface waves.
- Higher frequency waves.
- Primary (P) waves: Fastest waves, push-pull motion through solids and liquids.
- Secondary (S) waves: Slower than P waves, move through solids only; this property helps determine the Earth's liquid outer core.
Surface Waves
- Travel only through the Earth's surface.
- Arrive after body waves.
- Lower frequency waves.
- More damaging than body waves due to the larger amplitude of ground motion.
- Love waves: Fastest surface waves, side-to-side motion.
- Rayleigh waves: Move the ground up and down and side-to-side in a rolling circular motion.
Seismograms
- A seismogram is a record of ground motion produced by earthquakes, explosions, or other sources, recorded by a seismograph.
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Description
This quiz covers essential concepts about earthquakes, including their definitions, magnitudes, and types of faults. Learn about how earthquakes occur, the measurements used to assess them, and the characteristics of different fault types. Test your knowledge on earthquake fundamentals and their geological implications.
