Geology and Earth Structure Quiz

Faults where blocks slide past each other horizontally.

Occur when one tectonic plate slides beneath another, generating immense stress and energy.

The fastest type of seismic waves, they travel through both solids and liquids and cause minimal damage.

Slower seismic waves that only travel through solids and cause moderate damage.

Seismic waves that travel along the Earth's surface, causing the most damage due to their large amplitude.

Measures the amount of energy released at the source of an earthquake.

Describes the shaking effects of an earthquake on people and structures.

Earthquakes that occur within a tectonic plate, driven by mantle convection or lithospheric stress.

Chondrites are meteorites believed to have a composition similar to Earth's. These meteorites represent primitive solar system material that has not undergone differentiation, preserving the original composition.

The Earth's structure has distinct layers with different compositions and physical properties. These layers are classified as either compositional or rheological.

Oceanic crust is thinner, denser, and composed of basalt rich in iron and magnesium. Continental crust is thicker, less dense, and composed of granite rich in silica and aluminum.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are powerful bursts of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun's corona. They can cause geomagnetic storms when they interact with Earth's magnetosphere.

Continental drift is supported by geological evidence like matching fossils across continents. Plate tectonics is supported by geophysical evidence, including magnetic striping on the seafloor.

Mid-ocean ridges, deep ocean trenches, and fracture zones are crucial features associated with plate tectonics, revealed through sonar exploration.

Normal faults occur with extension, where the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall. Reverse faults occur with compression, where the hanging wall moves up relative to the footwall.

Thrust faults are a specific type of reverse fault, where the fault plane dips at a low angle.

The steep, exposed surface at the top of a landslide, marking where the material detached from the stable ground.

The curved plane along which the slide occurs, often found at the boundary between the surface material and more stable underlying layers.

A type of landslide where a large volume of material moves downslope under gravity. Types include rock, soil, debris, or mud.

Intense, short duration rainfall over burnt slopes led to the sudden formation of mudflows.

The accumulation of displaced material at the base of the landslide, can block rivers or roads, creating secondary hazards like flooding.

A narrow region in the central United States known for its frequent tornadoes, characterized by the collision of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold, dry air from Canada. Strong winds amplify these rotations.

A type of wildfire suppression technique that uses water dropped from aircraft to reduce the temperature of the fire, slowing its spread.

A powerful storm system with sustained winds exceeding 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour). They form over warm ocean waters, fueled by the release of latent heat.

A phenomenon where the rotation of the Earth influences the path and direction of moving objects, especially large-scale weather systems like tropical cyclones. In the Northern Hemisphere, it causes a counterclockwise rotation, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it causes a clockwise rotation.

The path a tropical cyclone takes in the North Atlantic, starting westward due to trade winds, then curving northward and then eastward influenced by westerly winds.

The stickiness or resistance to flow of magma. Higher viscosity magma traps gas, causing pressure buildup and explosive eruptions. Lower viscosity magma allows gas to escape easily, leading to effusive eruptions.

A fast-moving current of hot gas, ash, and volcanic material. They can form from collapsing eruption columns, dome collapses, or direct lateral blasts.

The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 was notable for its lateral blast, triggered by a massive landslide on the north side of the volcano. This landslide released pressure, directing the blast horizontally.

This Icelandic eruption in 2010 involved interactions between magma and glacial ice, causing explosive phases within an otherwise effusive eruption cycle.

Volcanic eruptions at mid-ocean ridges are generally less explosive due to the low viscosity of basaltic magma, which allows gas to escape easily.

Volcanic arcs, formed where tectonic plates collide, produce the most explosive eruptions. This is due to the high viscosity of andesitic or rhyolitic magma, which traps gas and builds pressure.

Water significantly increases the likelihood of landslides by adding weight to the soil and rock. This increased mass amplifies gravity's pull, making the slope more prone to failure.

A shield volcano is formed by effusive eruptions of low-viscosity basaltic magma. Stratovolcanoes, on the other hand, are cone-shaped and are built up by layers of lava flows and pyroclastic material. They are usually associated with more explosive, high-viscosity magma.

A slow, downhill movement of soil or rock, often caused by freeze-thaw cycles, wetting and drying of clays, or soil temperature changes.

A rapid mass movement of snow, ice, or rock down a slope, caused by instability and triggered by factors such as heavy snowfall, earthquake, or temperature changes.

A type of landslide where a large mass of rock detaches and falls down a steep slope.

A large-scale, high-speed rock avalanche that can travel long distances across flat terrain, often initiated by a vertical drop.

A type of landslide characterized by the rapid movement of a mixture of rock, soil, and water, often triggered by heavy rainfall or snowmelt.

A large-scale, highly mobile landslide that typically occurs near volcanoes, composed of wet volcanic ash and debris, fueled by melting snow or rain.

A type of landslide where a large block of earth rotates and slides downslope, often triggered by heavy rains or earthquakes.

Measures taken to minimize the risk of landslides, including reducing the slope's instability, monitoring potential dangers, and implementing early warning systems.