Question 1

Vertical motion seismographs record earthquakes by producing a squiggly diagram called a ________.

Accepted Answer

A) wave sheet 
B) seismogram 
C) pictogram 
D) seismograph 
A) wave sheet 
B) seismogram 
C) pictogram 
D) seismograph B

Question 2

Which earthquake scale uses the amplitudes of several different waves,the amount of slip,and the dimensions of the slipped area on the fault and is therefore considered the most accurate magnitude scale?

Accepted Answer

A) the Richter scale 
B) the Mercalli scale 
C) the moment magnitude scale 
D) the surface-wave magnitude scale 
A) the Richter scale 
B) the Mercalli scale 
C) the moment magnitude scale 
D) the surface-wave magnitude scale C

Question 3

At a minimum,how many seismic stations are necessary to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?

Accepted Answer

A) one 
B) two 
C) three 
D) four 
A) one 
B) two 
C) three 
D) four C

Question 4

During an earthquake,if the hanging wall slides upward relative to the footwall,the fault is termed a ________ fault if the fault is steep (closer to vertical than horizontal).Refer to the figure below for an example of such a feature.

Accepted Answer

A) normal 
B) reverse 
C) strike-slip 
D) thrust 
A) normal 
B) reverse 
C) strike-slip 
D) thrust

Question 5

All else being equal,an earthquake that strikes in the eastern United States would produce shaking that would be felt ________ than an identical one occurring in the western United States.

Accepted Answer

A) over a greater distance 
B) over a lesser distance 
C) over the same distance 
D) There is no consistent pattern of shaking distance in these two regions. 
A) over a greater distance 
B) over a lesser distance 
C) over the same distance 
D) There is no consistent pattern of shaking distance in these two regions.

Question 6

Which earthquake severity scale varies from locality to locality for a single earthquake?

Accepted Answer

A) the Richter scale 
B) the Mercalli scale 
C) the moment magnitude scale 
D) the surface-wave magnitude scale 
A) the Richter scale 
B) the Mercalli scale 
C) the moment magnitude scale 
D) the surface-wave magnitude scale

Question 7

A surface along which rock on opposed sides is offset by an earthquake-induced slip is called a ________.

Accepted Answer

A) joint 
B) fault 
C) fold 
D) wall 
A) joint 
B) fault 
C) fold 
D) wall

Question 8

Short-term predictions of earthquake behavior ________.

Accepted Answer

A) have saved millions of lives in the past decade alone 
B) have been largely unreliable 
C) are primarily based on the behavior patterns of farm animals 
D) are correct approximately 50% of the time 
A) have saved millions of lives in the past decade alone 
B) have been largely unreliable 
C) are primarily based on the behavior patterns of farm animals 
D) are correct approximately 50% of the time

Question 9

The intersection between a fault plane and the ground surface is called the ________.

Accepted Answer

A) dip line 
B) plunge 
C) fault trace 
D) seismic interface 
A) dip line 
B) plunge 
C) fault trace 
D) seismic interface

Question 10

Earthquake waves that travel along Earth's surface are termed ________.

Accepted Answer

A) interior waves 
B) S-waves 
C) surface waves 
D) body waves 
A) interior waves 
B) S-waves 
C) surface waves 
D) body waves

Question 11

Which earthquake scale measures the amplitude of deflection of a seismograph pen,standardized to an idealized distance of 100 km between the epicenter and the seismograph?

Accepted Answer

A) the Richter scale 
B) the Mercalli scale 
C) the moment magnitude scale 
D) the surface-wave magnitude scale 
A) the Richter scale 
B) the Mercalli scale 
C) the moment magnitude scale 
D) the surface-wave magnitude scale

Question 12

The point within Earth where an earthquake takes place is termed the ________.

Accepted Answer

A) hypocenter (focus) 
B) epicenter 
C) eye of the fault 
D) vertex 
A) hypocenter (focus) 
B) epicenter 
C) eye of the fault 
D) vertex

Question 13

The greatest earthquake ever recorded by seismographs occurred in 1960 in ________ and measured a magnitude of ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Japan;9.3 
B) Alaska;9.5 
C) Chile;9.5 
D) Portugal;9.8 
A) Japan;9.3 
B) Alaska;9.5 
C) Chile;9.5 
D) Portugal;9.8

Question 14

Which earthquake scale is used to assess the effects of an earthquake on humans and human-made structures?

Accepted Answer

A) Richter scale 
B) Mercalli scale 
C) moment magnitude scale 
D) surface-wave magnitude scale 
A) Richter scale 
B) Mercalli scale 
C) moment magnitude scale 
D) surface-wave magnitude scale

Question 15

The quantity of motion that occurs along a fault is termed ________.

Accepted Answer

A) fault gouge 
B) the fault gauge 
C) slip 
D) accumulation 
A) fault gouge 
B) the fault gauge 
C) slip 
D) accumulation

Question 16

The vast majority of earthquakes occur ________.

Accepted Answer

A) along transform-plate boundaries only 
B) near hot spots 
C) along passive margins 
D) along any plate boundary 
A) along transform-plate boundaries only 
B) near hot spots 
C) along passive margins 
D) along any plate boundary

Question 17

Generally,which type of earthquake waves travel with the slowest velocity?

Accepted Answer

A) S-waves 
B) P-waves 
C) surface waves 
D) All earthquake waves travel at the same speed. 
A) S-waves 
B) P-waves 
C) surface waves 
D) All earthquake waves travel at the same speed.

Question 18

Geologists who specifically study earthquakes are called ________.

Accepted Answer

A) seismologists 
B) paleontologists 
C) vulcanologists 
D) speleologists 
A) seismologists 
B) paleontologists 
C) vulcanologists 
D) speleologists

Question 19

Which type of fault does NOT,by definition,have a fault trace?

Accepted Answer

A) normal fault 
B) reverse fault 
C) blind fault 
D) All faults have recognizable traces. 
A) normal fault 
B) reverse fault 
C) blind fault 
D) All faults have recognizable traces.

Question 20

During an earthquake,if a footwall slides upward relative to a hanging wall (as shown in the figure below),the fault is termed a ________ fault.

Accepted Answer

A) normal 
B) reverse 
C) strike-slip 
D) thrust 
A) normal 
B) reverse 
C) strike-slip 
D) thrust

Exam 10: A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Vertical motion seismographs record earthquakes by producing a squiggly diagram called a ________.

Which earthquake scale uses the amplitudes of several different waves,the amount of slip,and the dimensions of the slipped area on the fault and is therefore considered the most accurate magnitude scale?

At a minimum,how many seismic stations are necessary to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?

During an earthquake,if the hanging wall slides upward relative to the footwall,the fault is termed a ________ fault if the fault is steep (closer to vertical than horizontal).Refer to the figure below for an example of such a feature.

All else being equal,an earthquake that strikes in the eastern United States would produce shaking that would be felt ________ than an identical one occurring in the western United States.

Which earthquake severity scale varies from locality to locality for a single earthquake?

A surface along which rock on opposed sides is offset by an earthquake-induced slip is called a ________.

Short-term predictions of earthquake behavior ________.

The intersection between a fault plane and the ground surface is called the ________.

Earthquake waves that travel along Earth's surface are termed ________.

Which earthquake scale measures the amplitude of deflection of a seismograph pen,standardized to an idealized distance of 100 km between the epicenter and the seismograph?

The point within Earth where an earthquake takes place is termed the ________.

The greatest earthquake ever recorded by seismographs occurred in 1960 in ________ and measured a magnitude of ________.

Which earthquake scale is used to assess the effects of an earthquake on humans and human-made structures?

The quantity of motion that occurs along a fault is termed ________.

The vast majority of earthquakes occur ________.

Generally,which type of earthquake waves travel with the slowest velocity?

Geologists who specifically study earthquakes are called ________.

Which type of fault does NOT,by definition,have a fault trace?

During an earthquake,if a footwall slides upward relative to a hanging wall (as shown in the figure below),the fault is termed a ________ fault.

Cosmology and the Birth of Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Squeezing Power From a Stone: Energy Resources

Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

An Envelope of Gas: Earths Atmosphere and Climate

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

a Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

the Rock Cycle in the Earth System

the Earths Interior, revisited: Seismic Layering, gravity, and the Magnetic Field

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Filters

The greatest earthquake ever recorded by seismographs occurred in 1960 in and measured a magnitude of .