Earthquake questions
Which of these buildings is likely to suffer the least amount of damage during an earthquake?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Which type of earthquake waves creates the most damage to buildings?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A tsunami is a great wave produced by:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
About how many earthquakes are on average are detected on Earth each year?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boats passing over a tsunami in deep ocean water would easily pass over the tsunami. (True or False)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Earthquakes with mainly horizontal motion cause much damage to structures, while earthquakes with mostly vertical motion cause very little building damage. (True or False)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Generally, as the duration of an earthquake increases:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you were planning to develop land along an active fault zone, which type of development would be the least affected by the geological hazards of the site?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Large magnitude earthquakes are required to damage tall buildings. (True or False)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tsunamis form when a large area of the ocean floor rises or falls suddenly in an earthquake. Generally, while in deep ocean water a tsunami has a:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is the name of a map that shows the lines connecting points on Earth's surface at which earthquake intensity is the same?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Which is the name of the phenomenon when oscillations imposed on an object match the natural oscillation of an object producing intensified swaying?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Which of the following is not an indirect hazard of earthquakes?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Which underlying Earth material would experience the smallest wave amplitudes if all materials were subjected to the same magnitude earthquake?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why is it difficult to prepare for the damage caused by a tsunami?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Which major earthquake did not occur at a plate boundary?
1812 New Madrid, Missouri
What is the minimum number of seismograph stations needed to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?
3 stations
About how fast does a primary wave travel?
5 Kilometers per second
Which observation may indicate a forthcoming destructive earthquake?
An increase in the frequency of smaller earthquakes in a region.
A compressional force is applied to a brick. Where is the brick most likely to fracture?
Anywhere on the edges or in the interior of the brick.
How do rock particles move during the passage of a primary wave through the rock?
Back and forth parallel to the direction of the wave travel.
How do rock particles move during the passage of a secondary wave through the rock?
Back and forth perpendicular to the direction of wave travel
The inner core of Earth consist of solid iron-nickle. The iron-nickle materials of the outer core are in the liquid phase. Why is the inner core material solid, but the outer core normally in the liquid phase?
The inner core is under larger pressure than the outer core.
Which type(s) of motion would a person experiencing an earthquake expect to feel?
Both side to side and up and down motion.
Which plate boundary is usually associated with earthquakes that originate at depths greater than 100 kilometers?
Convergent
What would happen to a primary wave's velocity if the wave were to go from a solid to a liquid medium?
Decrease
What would happen to a secondary wave's velocity if the wave were to go from a solid to a liquid medium?
Decrease to zero
Rocks along a fracture slowly bend, then suddenly slip. Which name best describes this process?
Earthquake
Earthquake intensity is a measure of the:
Effects of an earthquake on Earth's surface.
Which is not a main process in the occurrence of earthquakes?
Energy being destroyed
An earthquake with a value of i (1) on the Modified Mercalli Scale would have the following effects: total damage to all works or construction, numerous rock and landslides, waves seen on the ground, and objects thrown up in the air. (True or False)
False
The Modified Mercalli Scale is based on the numerical magnitude of an earthquake wave? (True or False)
False
The concentration of earthquake activity along plate boundaries is very low. (True or False)
False
The focus of an earthquake always lies at the surface of the Earth. (True or False)
False
Which is another name for a fracture or fracture zone in rock?
Fault
Which type of fault is usually associated with stronger earthquakes?
Faults that have a large amount of friction present between moving rock plates.
Which type of fault is usually associated with more frequent, smaller earthquakes?
Faults that have a small amount of friction present between moving rock plates.
Which is the name of the point within Earth where rupture first occurs to cause an earthquake?
Focus
A seismometer works on the principle that mass at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. This principle is know as:
Inertia
Seismologist pinpoint the exact location of an earthquake by:
Interpreting seismograms from at least three stations
If only density increased with increasing depth within the Earth:
The primary waves' speed should seed up.
What causes an earthquake?
The sudden release of slowly accumulated strain
Which liquid boundary marks a change in the phase of Earth materials from 100% solid to 100% liquid?
Mantle to Outer Core
Why do rocks in a fracture zone become locked in place and not continuously slip past each other?
New mineral materials created by flowing water solutions come to the rocks together
Which statement about earthquakes is correct?
Normal, reverse, and strike-slip falling can cause earthquakes
Two different cities experience an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter Scale. However, on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, the earthquake was rated V in one city and VII in the other city. Which is the best explanation for this difference?
One city was built on bedrock, while the other one was built on loose sediments.
Which type of earthquake wave is a compressional wave and is first to reach a location away from the focus?
Primary Wave
The diagram below shows a wave on a Slinky. Which type of earthquake wave has a similar motion?
Secondary Wave
Which is name of the intense vibration associated with the sudden release of energy as rock breaks due to slowly built-up bending?
Seismic Waves
Which is the name of the property that describes the forces required to break a solid rock when the forces are applied in opposite directions?
Shear Strength
Which type of seismic wave can travel only through solids?
Shear Waves
Which is the name for the amount of ground displacement in a earthquake?
Slip
Which is the correct order from slowest to fastest travel speed of earth quake waves?
Surface Waves, Secondary Waves, Primary Waves
Walking to school one day you feel the ground move in an up-and-down rolling motion. Which type of earthquake waves are you experiencing?
Surface waves
Most inferences about characteristics of Earth's mantle and core are based on:
The behavior of seismic waves in Earth's interior.
What doe the elastic rebound theory describe?
The build-up and release of stress during a earthquake.
How is the difference in arrival time between primary and secondary waves to a seismometer affected by increasing the distance from the seismometer to the focus?
The difference in arrival time increases.
As the roughness of a surface sliding against another surface decreases slightly, what happens to the frictional forces between the two surfaces?
The frictional force decreases
For a given earthquake, the epicenter and area of maximum intensity do not always coincide. (True or False)
True
Large earthquakes can occur far from plate boundaries. (True or False)
True
The epicenter of an earthquake always lies at the surface of Earth. (True or False)
True
