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Questions and Answers
What causes an earthquake?
What causes an earthquake?
How do scientists measure the behavior of earthquake waves?
How do scientists measure the behavior of earthquake waves?
Where do most earthquakes occur?
Where do most earthquakes occur?
What primarily drives the motion of tectonic plates?
What primarily drives the motion of tectonic plates?
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Where can earthquakes occur on the surface of the Earth?
Where can earthquakes occur on the surface of the Earth?
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What are tsunamis caused by?
What are tsunamis caused by?
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What are the three main parts of an earthquake?
What are the three main parts of an earthquake?
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What is another term for the focus of an earthquake?
What is another term for the focus of an earthquake?
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What are the four types of seismic waves?
What are the four types of seismic waves?
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What are the majority of earthquakes caused by?
What are the majority of earthquakes caused by?
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Study Notes
Understanding Earthquakes and Tsunamis
- Tsunamis are not tidal waves, they are large water waves caused by underwater earthquakes, reaching up to 100 feet in height, and causing destruction on land.
- Earthquakes can occur on intraplate faults, not just on tectonic plate boundaries, such as the New Madrid Fault in the United States.
- An earthquake consists of three main parts: the focus, seismic waves, and the fault along which the earthquake occurs.
- The focus is the origin of the earthquake, seismic waves are mechanical energy propagation through the earth's layers, and the fault line is where the mechanical energy is released.
- The epicenter is the surface location directly above the focus of the earthquake, and the hypocenter is another term for the focus.
- There are four types of seismic waves: primary (P-) waves, secondary (S-) waves, Rayleigh waves, and Love waves, each with distinct properties and behaviors.
- Faults are cracks in the earth where two sections of rock can move relative to each other, and there are three main types: thrust or reverse faults, normal faults, and strike-slip faults, each with different motion.
- The majority of earthquakes occur along tectonic boundaries and faults in the earth's crust, with tectonic earthquakes caused by tectonic plates moving against each other along a fault.
- Tectonic earthquakes occur in five stages: elastic build-up, dilatancy, influx of water, earthquake, and aftershocks, as identified by geologist Henry Fielding Reid.
- There are four types of earthquakes: tectonic, volcanic, collapse, and explosion, each triggered by different events.
- Tectonic earthquakes are caused by sliding along a fault or tectonic boundary, volcanic earthquakes are triggered by nearby volcanic activity, collapse earthquakes occur in underground caves or mines, and explosion earthquakes are caused by detonation of a nuclear or chemical bomb.
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Description
Test your knowledge of earthquakes and tsunamis with this quiz. Explore the causes, types, and characteristics of earthquakes, including the different types of seismic waves and fault lines. Learn about the connection between earthquakes and tsunamis, and gain a deeper understanding of these natural phenomena.
