Geo 111 midterm

Earthquakes associated with reverse faulting results in crustal shortening, which is generally found at which type of boundary?

convergent

3. [D] crust is denser and thinner than [E] crust.

d,, oceanic e. continental

4. The [F] is the weak layer in the mantle that the lithospheric plates ride on.

f. asthenosphere

According to the intensity map of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the greatest intensity experienced during this earthquake was an intensity of XII.

false

Continental drift is the theory currently accepted by the scientific community that describes the large-scale motions of the Earth's lithosphere.

false

Earthquakes occur in association with convergent and transform fault boundaries, but not divergent boundaries.

false

The Reelfoot Rift formed when the supercontinent of Pangaea began to split apart around 700 million years ago.

false

The Great Tohoku earthquake occurred _______.

in the Japan trench subduction zone.

The Dec. 16, 1811 earthquake ________.

in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. in a region known as the Reelfoot Rift. in an ancient rift that formed over 700 million years ago

Sand boils and mud volcanoes form when _____.

intense shaking ejects overpressured mud and sand to the surface along narrow fractures.

The New Madrid Seismic Zone does not include which of the following states?

iowa

The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes occurred _______.

occurred without warning. was accompanied by a loud roaring noise. was felt as far away as Quebec, Canada.

The epicenter of the 2010 Haiti earthquake was located _____.

on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault.

The residential construction that sustained the least amount of damage during the Haiti earthquake was _____.

one-story shanties made of mud and twig walls, sheet metal roofs, and earthen floors.

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake occurred as a result of _____.

subduction of the Indian-Australian plate under the Burma and Sunda plates.

The Great Tohoku earthquake occurred as a result of ______.

subduction of the Pacific plate under the North American plate.

Along which of the following faults did the 2010 Haiti earthquake occur?

the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault, a transform fault boundary between the Gonave plate and the Caribbean plate.

What does the Richter Magnitude Scale depend on?

the amplitude of the seismic waves on a seismograph

Which of the following would be a modern analogy to the Reelfoot Rift when it was active?

the triple junction centered around the Afar Triangle in northeast Africa.

In several places affected by the tsunami associated with the 2004 Indian ocean earthquake, the ocean retreated from the beaches just prior to the tsunami hitting the beach. This is a common phenomenon that is caused by _____.

the wave trough hitting land before of the crest of the wave.

One of the strongest lines of evidence for plate tectonics today is the recognition that Earth has reversed its polarity over time and the reversals are reflected in newly formed rocks equidistant from oceanic spreading centers.

true

Over 1,800 earthquakes occurred during the 4 1/2 month period of the 1811-1812 seismic episode.

true

Sand blows (sand boils) have been used to determine past seismic events in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

true

When the Dec. 16, 1811 New Madrid earthquake occurred in Missouri, church bells in New York rang in response to shaking from this earthquake.

true

Liquefaction occurs when _____.

when saturated soil and other unconsolidated Earth materials lose their strength during an earthquake and behave like a liquid.

A tsunami may occur when _____.

-landslide -earthquake -volcano

Economist estimate that it will take Japan about how long to recover from the Great Tohoku earthquake?

1 year

The length of fault rupture during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was _____.

1,500 km (900 miles)

Which of the following is not true concerning tsunamis on the open ocean?

A tsunami in the open ocean will look like a huge wall of water to a ship in its path.

Why does Japan rely so heavily on nuclear energy?

Because Japan has few natural resources that it can use to generate electricity.

What is the major difference in oceanic crust and continental crust?

Continental crust is slightly less dense than oceanic crust.

Which of the following did not occur during the Dec. 16, 1811, New Madrid earthquake?

Downed power lines caused numerous small fires along the Mississippi River.

The S-wave shadow zone occurs because _________.

Earth's outer core is liquid and shear waves cannot travel through liquids.

Earthquakes occur in association with convergent and transform fault boundaries, but not divergent boundaries.

False

The terms 'tsunami' and 'tidal wave' mean the same thing and are interchangeable when discussing a seismic sea wave.

False

Eye witness accounts reported that the Mississippi River flowed backward during at least one of the larger earthquakes during the New Madrid 1811-1812 earthquake swarm. What is the best explanation for why the river 'flowed backward?'

Intense shaking along the river caused water to bounce from one side of the river to the other. This formed waves that flowed upriver, making it appear that the river was flowing backwards.

Why does the intensity map for the Dec. 16, 1811, earthquake not show any intensities on the west side of the map?

Intensities are not shown on the west side of the map because the population of European settlers in that part of the U.S. was sparse.

What kind of natural hazards are not normally insurable?

Landslides

Which of the following is true?

Much of the initial problems associated with the nuclear reactors was due to flooding of the generators, brought on by the tsunami.

The first waves to arrive at a seismographic station are the _______.

P-waves

Which of the following is true with respect to Plate B?

Plate B is the North American plate.

At least three major tsunamis have hit Thailand in the last 2,800 years. How do we know?

Radiocarbon dating of wood fragments buried in the tsunami related sediments.

As a result of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, some islands on the Burma plate doubled in size within 10 minutes.

TRue

Which of the following is not true with respect to the San Andreas fault?

The San Andreas fault represents the convergent boundary between the North American and the Pacific plates.

Match the three major types of plate boundaries to the motion at those boundaries. -transform plate boundary

The edges of the plates slide past each other

Which of the following is true regarding the tectonics in the Caribbean?

The island of Hispaniola is located on three different tectonic plates that are separated by two different strike-slip faults.

Which of the following statements is NOT true with respect to Earth's behavioral layers?

The lithosphere contains the crust and the upper part of the plastic asthenosphere.

Match the three major types of plate boundaries to the motion at those boundaries. -Convergent plate boundary

The plates are colliding with each other, and oceanic plates subduct under continental plates.

Match the three major types of plate boundaries to the motion at those boundaries. -divergent plate boundary

The plates are moving away from each other at mid-ocean ridges.

Which of the following is not true with respect to the strongest aftershock during the 1811-1812 earthquakes?

The strongest aftershock caused the formation of the bluffs along the Missouri River near Council Bluffs, Iowa.

During the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, parts of the western edge of the Burma plate rose above sea level while parts of the eastern edge of the Burma plate subsided below sea level.

True

The main earthquake to hit the New Madrid, Missouri, area in 1811 was strong enough to cause chimneys in North Carolina to fall and to force the Mississippi River to flow backwards due to the amount of mud and sand that was ejected from the subsurface into the river bed. This earthquake would have an intensity of at least ______.

VIII

Based upon the Modified Mercalli Shake Map, the highest intensity estimated for the New Madrid December 16, 1811 earthquake was _____.

XI

Seismic waves are used to determine that the interior of the Earth is divided into layers of rock with different properties. Seismic waves will [a] or slow down depending on the [b] of the material they're traveling through. When seismic waves reach the boundary between two layers, some waves will also [c] (bounce) off that boundary and some will [d] (bend) at the boundary.

a. Accelerate b. density c. reflect d. refract

1. Oceanic lithosphere is created at [A] and consumed at [B].

a. mid ocean ridges b. subduction zones

The Reelfoot Rift formed _______.

as a result of the breakup of Rodinia over 700 million years ago.

The layer of the Earth that deforms and flows, behaving like a plastic, is called the _____.

asthenosphere

Which type or types of earthquake waves arrive at a seismograph most quickly by traveling through the mantle of the Earth?

both P and S waves

2. At convergent plate boundaries, the subducting oceanic plate grinds along the base of the overriding plate, generating large [C].

c. earthquakes

An insurance company decides on the cost of a policy for a natural hazard by ____.

calculating the cost of the probable loss times the probability of that event

Which of the following land-based animal fossils were used as evidence for continental drift?

(three answers) -lystrosaurus fossils found in africa, antarctica and Indian

Which of these will cause a rock to melt? (Select 3 answers)

- Increase in temperture with pressure remaining the same -Decrease in pressure with temperature remaining the same -High water content