Ch. 8

Large earthquakes almost always produce new faults because the old faults tend to "heal" in the long time that separates most large earthquakes.

False

The Mercalli Scale is a scale from ________.

I to XII that rates the structural damage due to an earthquake

Which one of the following statements is correct?

P waves travel through solids; S waves do not

________ have the highest velocities.

Primary waves (P-waves)

A magnitude scale is a measure of the energy released. It does not measure the extent of building damage or loss of life.

True

The velocity of seismic waves generally increase with depth in the earth.

True

Major earthquakes are often followed by somewhat smaller events known as ________.

aftershocks

The richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the _____

amplitude of the largest seismic wave

The _____ is the site of initial rupturing associated with an earthquake.

focus

When an earthquake occurs, energy radiates in all directions from its source. The source is also referred to as the ________.

focus

Overall, this type of seismic wave is the most destructive.

surface wave