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Which of the following is a characteristic of an S wave?

"shaking" particle motion at right angles to the direction of wave travel

Look at the accompanying map showing the locations of the 15 largest earthquakes in the world since 1900. Imagine an earthquake occurs at location 2 on the map (southern Alaska) that could generate a tsunami. Which of the following statements are most accurate?

-All locations (except 9) could benefit from an alert that an earthquake occurred at location 2, because they are near the ocean and might experience a resultant tsunami. -All islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean should also receive warnings.

Which of the following is a layer of the Earth that is classified NOT by composition, but by physical properties? Core Mantle Geosphere Asthenosphere Crust

-Asthenosphere

In the mid-20th century, researchers dredging the seafloor could not find any materials older than ________.

180 million years

A typical rate of seafloor spreading in the Atlantic Ocean is ________.

2 centimeters per year

How are normal polarity and reverse polarity of Earth's magnetic field different?

A compass points toward the North Pole during normal polarity and to the South Pole during reverse polarity.

In general, what is our best evidence that the orientation of Earth's magnetic field has changed over time?

A record of Earth's magnetic field is recorded in oceanic rocks, which show a clear pattern of changes in Earth's magnetic polarity.

__________ is a seismic zone that has not produced a large earthquake for a considerable length of time.

A seismic gap

Look again at the map. An earthquake at which of the following locations could cause a tsunami?

All of the locations except 9 could produce tsunamis, because all are subduction zones involving at least one oceanic plate.

______ is a feature of a divergent plate boundary.

An oceanic ridge A rift valley

What causes an earthquake such as the one that occurred in San Francisco in 1906?

As plates move, stress builds up at the boundary. When the boundary eventually snaps, energy is released as an earthquake.

If the stress applied to the rock is greater than rock strength, what happens?

Blocks of rock will slide relative to one another along a fault, causing an earthquake.

Where do body waves and surface waves travel?

Body waves travel within Earth, and surface waves travel along Earth's surface.

What do vertical and horizontal surface waves have in common?

Both waves travel along Earth's surface and decrease in amplitude with depth below the surface.

describes Wegener's idea of continental drift?

Continents were formerly in different positions on the Earth and have shifted to their present locations over time.

What generates the heat necessary for convection in the Earth?

Decay of radioactive materials

Which type of plate boundary is most closely associated with the formation of new ocean floor?

Divergent

Which of the following statements about Earth's magnetic field is most accurate?

Earth's magnetic field switches polarity at irregular time intervals.

The earthquakes that occur in Southern California generally occur along a

Fault

When a fault is expressed at the surface, it is called a __________.

Fault Scarp

How was the fossil record of ancient life used to support Wegener's hypothesis about Pangaea?

Fossils of identical organisms were found on several continents, indicating the continents were once joined.

____ is an example of a feature associated with an oceanic-continental convergent plate boundary?

The Cascade Mountain Range

Which type of earthquake destruction can cause houses to sink into the ground?

Liquefaction

Which layer is known as the "graveyard" of subducted oceanic lithosphere?

The D" layer

How is the thickness of the lithosphere going to change as it moves away from a divergent plate boundary?

Lithosphere will thicken as more mantle is added.

Look again at the map. Bear in mind that all the earthquake locations that are not inland are on a convergent plate boundary (subduction zone). Which of these statements is true?

Look again at the map. Bear in mind that all the earthquake locations that are not inland are on a convergent plate boundary (subduction zone). Which of these statements is true?

Imagine an earthquake is about to occur at location 2 on the map (southern Alaska). Which of the following statements is most accurate?

Most of the people living at location 2 probably are aware that they live in a location where earthquakes are likely. All locations (except 9) could benefit from an alert that an earthquake occurred at location 2, because they are near the ocean and might experience a resultant tsunami.

What two types of faults are common at divergent plate boundaries?

Normal and transform faults

Which layer of Earth forms at mid-ocean ridges?

Oceanic crust

What is the main material being subducted at an ocean-continent convergent boundary?

Oceanic lithosphere

Name two types of body waves.

P waves and S waves

Why do geologists believe the inner core is solid?

P waves refract at the boundary between the outer core and inner core.

What data provided information about the existence of different zones within Earth?

P-wave and S-wave arrival times

____ is an example of a transform plate boundary

The San Andreas Fault

Which statement about the theory of plate tectonics is correct?

The rigid lithosphere plates overlay the hotter and weaker asthenosphere.

Which of the following best describes the general relationship between the velocity of seismic waves and depth in Earth?

The velocity of seismic waves generally increases with depth.

Why are volcanoes NOT found at transform boundaries?

Transform boundaries do not cause changes to the pressure, temperature, or composition of the mantle.

Most faults are locked in place, except for brief, abrupt movements when sudden slippage produces earthquakes.

True

What happens to tsunami waves as they move closer to shore?

Velocity decreases and height increases.

Why are the mid-ocean ridges higher in elevation than the surrounding ocean floor?

Warmer material near the ridge is less dense, so floats higher on the mantle

Which feature of Wegener's idea of continental drift contributed to its rejection by the scientific community?

Wegener proposed that gravitational forces from the Sun and Moon could move continents.

How will the age and temperature of the subducting plate affect its angle of descent?

Younger and warmer plates will have a shallow angle of descent

A tsunami is caused by __________.

anything that displaces water

What best describes the movement of P waves?

compression and expansion

Mantle

contains a weak layer below the lithosphere contains rock rich in magnesium and iron.

Australia is composed of relatively old and thick_______

continental crust

The geodynamo is generated by ______.

convection in the outer core

The Moho separates the ______

crust and mantle

According to the animation, what are the four primary zones in Earth's interior?

crust, mantle, outer core, inner core

In general, where do earthquakes AND volcanic eruptions occur

divergent plate boundaries

The hanging wall moves __________ relative to the footwall in a __________ fault.

down; normal

What is liquefaction?

fluid behavior of water-filled sediment during shaking

Amongst all seismic waves, surface waves __________.

have the slowest velocity

The core is ______. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

iron-rich denser than the crust

Crust

is Earth's stiff, rigid, rocky shell part of this layer has a relatively homogeneous composition, while the other part is less uniform in composition

How do plates move at divergent plate boundaries?

Plates move apart.

How do plates move at convergent plate boundaries?

Plates move toward one another.

How do plates move at transform plate boundaries?

Plates slide past one another.

How does rock within Earth change as S waves pass?

Rocks within Earth are displaced up and down as S waves pass.

How do rocks within Earth change as P waves pass?

Rocks within Earth both expand and contract as P waves pass.

How are S waves and vertical surface waves different?

S waves are body waves, whereas vertical surface waves are surface waves. The amplitude of S waves does not decrease with depth, but the amplitude of vertical surface waves does decrease with depth.

Why do we believe Earth's outer core is a liquid?

S waves do not travel through the outer core. P waves slow down and refract at the boundary between the mantle and the outer core.

Which of the following best describes how scientists help the public prepare for an earthquake event?

Scientists cannot predict when exactly an earthquake will occur, but they can identify tectonically active areas that are likely to produce earthquake activity and let the public know they are in an earthquake-prone area.

______ found in the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe is composed of dense and relatively young rock.

SeaFloor Crust

Which of the following rock types is most abundant on Earth's land surface?

Sedimentary rocks

Which of the following statements about seismic wave ray paths is most accurate?

Seismic waves move along curved ray paths because the properties of materials in the Earth change.

How could you test whether the core of another planet were completely solid?

Set off a bomb to create seismic waves. If S waves arrive on the opposite side of the planet, then the core is solid.

What evidence supports that the glaciers on the southern continents were once part of a single, massive ice sheet?

Striations

Earth's outer layer is composed of seven dominant plates. What is the name of this rigid outer layer?

lithosphere

A __________ is located at a plate boundary between a subducting slab of oceanic crust and an overlying plate.

megathrust fault

The highest magnitude earthquakes typically occur _______.

near subduction zones

What forms at divergent plate boundaries?

new oceanic lithosphere

Refer to the map of Earth's plates below, and determine which type of plate boundary is most often associated with these earthquake events.

ocean-continent convergent (subduction) boundaries

Which of the following might be seen where strike-slip movement has occurred?

offset fences

Where would you expect to see alternating bands of rock with different magnetic polarities?

on both sides of the mid-ocean ridge

In general, where do volcanoes form in subduction zones?

on the overriding plate, away form the convergent boundary

Oceanic lithosphere contains oceanic crust and the __________.

outermost part of mantle beneath the oceanic crust

What type of plate interaction produces the San Andreas Fault?

plates sliding past one another

Which of the following correctly compares the seismograph readings from Station 1 to Station 2, as shown in the video?

Surface waves show smaller amplitude at Station 2.

The offset of Wallace Creek is caused by __________.

right-lateral movement along the San Andreas strike-slip fault

The slowly increasing distance between South America and Africa is due to

seafloor spreading

Which sediment below would have the highest cohesive strength during an earthquake?

sediment with many contact points between grains and air in pore spaces

Layered _____________ exposed by erosion can be seen when looking at the Grand Canyon in the United States.

sedimentary rock

The extremely deep ocean Marianas Trench is a result of_____

subduction

What are the two primary types of waves generated by earthquakes?

surface waves and body waves

One-third of Earth's mass comes from ______.

the core

The names primary and secondary refer to ___________.

wave speed

Which of the following locations on the Circum-Pacific Belt are likely to generate a tsunami?

west coast of South America

measure the rate of plate motion?

GPS satellites The age of the sea floor

Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in the United States acquires its energy from a

Hot spot

The name of the site where slippage begins and earthquake waves radiate outward is called the __________.

Hypocenter

Look at the accompanying figure. Based on this figure, the properties of Earth's layers, and the mode of travel of body waves, which of the following best describes where the velocity of body waves should be fastest and where the velocity of body waves should be slowest within Earth's interior?

In general, body (P) waves would travel fastest in the inner core and slowest in the outer core.

What are two differences between oceanic crust and continental crust?

The continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust.

When matching up once-joined continents such as South America and Africa, the coastlines do not fit together as nicely as the continental shelves. Why might this be the case?

The continental shelves are the edges of the continent. The shoreline simply shows where the sea level is in relation to topography.

Which of the following would be the best to use to compare large earthquakes around Earth?

The moment magnitude scale

Which war was indirectly responsible for the development of the more modern tools that made the theory of Plate Tectonics possible?

World War II

The bend in the stone walls in the town of Hollister, California are a result of __________.

a fault creep along the Calaveras Fault

The East African rift is a divergent plate boundary that is splitting the continent of Africa into two pieces. What will eventually form around this divergent boundary?

an ocean


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