Deck 5: Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Question 1

Faults are "locked" because_______.

A) high confining pressure increases friction on the fault
B) major faults occur at plate boundaries that only move occasionally
C) otherwise they would have earthquakes all the time
D) earthquakes only form when the rocks are free to move
E) elastic rebound occurs on faults

Answer 1

high confining pressure increases friction on the fault

Question 2

Megathrusts between subducting oceanic crust and an overriding plate are a potential source of tsunamis because_______ .

A) oceanic crust is "thrust" over the continent along a megathrust so that forces the land downward producing a tsunami
B) one side of the fault is on land and the other is underwater so an earthquake could cause a landslide or tsunami depending on which side moved
C) the earthquakes on these faults are underwater and could displace large amounts of water from the oceans
D) the earthquakes on these faults are underwater and could release large amounts of water from the asthenosphere

Answer 2

the earthquakes on these faults are underwater and could displace large amounts of water from the oceans

Question 3

Earthquakes along the San Andreas fault zone, for example, are repetitive-they reoccur in roughly the same regions over and over again-separated by decades or centuries because_______ .

A) stress continues to build up all the time and when it is great enough to overcome friction there will be an earthquake and then the process will start over again
B) faults are always moving or creeping so an earthquake will occur whenever two sides meet that have the right properties for an earthquake
C) plate boundaries move at regular rates so the interactions across plate boundaries are predictable and regular
D) there are areas that are weak and always break when small amounts of energy are applied to them

Answer 3

stress continues to build up all the time and when it is great enough to overcome friction there will be an earthquake and then the process will start over again

Question 4

P waves_______ .

A) produce the strongest ground shaking
B) have higher amplitudes than do S waves
C) are faster than S waves and surface waves
D) propagate only in solids

Question 5

Which one of the following statements is correct?

A) P and S waves travel through liquids, but S waves do not travel through solids.
B) P and S waves travel through solids and P waves travel through liquids.
C) P waves travel through solids; S waves do not.
D) P and S waves travel through liquids, but P waves do not travel through solids.

Question 6

A seismograph works because there is a _______.

A) liquid medium in the instrument allowing only P waves to pass through
B) suspended weight that moves independently of Earth
C) rotating paper drum that causes mini- earthquakes
D) vertical ground motion causing the pen to move

Question 7

The location where slippage begins is called the_______ .

A) hypocenter
B) slippage zone
C) epicenter
D) surface wave

Question 8

The earliest seismographs were designed by the Chinese nearly 2000 years ago to measure_______ . One of these featured gold balls that dropped into the mouths of statues of gold frogs.

A) the magnitude of an earthquake
B) the direction to the earthquake focus
C) the intensity of an earthquake
D) the depth of an earthquake focus

Question 9

In elastic rebound theory, what must occur to produce an earthquake?

A) The ground needs to absorb enough water to lubricate the surface of the fault.
B) Rocks must break in order to produce slip on a fault.
C) Enough stress must build up over time on a fault to overcome friction.
D) Tidal forces need to be at a maximum to increase the energy applied to the fault.

Question 10

Aftershocks occur because_______ .

A) seismic energy continues to build up for a period of time after a major earthquake
B) there are always small earthquakes on major faults, but we do not notice them until there is a large event that makes us aware of them
C) the day after a large earthquake there are tidal forces that continue to create additional earthquakes
D) the area surrounding a region that experienced a large earthquake needs time to adjust to the displacements on the main fault

Question 11

In the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, much of the damage was due to fires because _______.

A) a cow kicked over a lantern in a barn and started the fires
B) electric power lines fell and caused sparks that started fires
C) the shaking caused gas lines to rupture everywhere and these ignited to cause huge fire storms in the city
D) water lines were badly damage so that firemen could not put out the fires

Question 12

See the image below of a subduction zone. What is the most likely area where you will see major earthquakes?

A) in the ocean
B) where the magma is beginning to rise
C) in the mountain belt
D) Nowhere. Subduction zones do not have earthquakes

Question 13

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

A) inertial point
B) focus
C) seismic zone
D) epicenter

Question 14

Major earthquakes are often followed by somewhat smaller events known as_______ .

A) aftershocks
B) hyposhocks
C) tremors
D) foreshocks

Question 15

On a typical seismogram,_______ will show the highest amplitudes.

A) S waves
B) surface waves
C) body waves
D) P waves

Question 16

During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the movement of the Pacific Plate relative to the North American Plate along the San Andreas Fault was approximately _______.

A) 1 cm
B) 1 meter
C) 10 cm
D) 10 meters
E) 100 meters

Question 17

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

A) P wave
B) S wave
C) tsunami
D) surface wave

Question 18

Modern seismographs rely on_______ to record the ground motion from an earthquake.

A) buoyancy
B) inertia
C) density
D) mass

Question 19

The position on Earth's surface directly above the earthquake source is called the _______.

A) seismic zone
B) inertial point
C) epicenter
D) focus

Question 20

_______have the highest velocities

A) Refracted S- waves
B) Primary waves P- waves.
C) Secondary waves S- waves.
D) Surface waves

Question 21

The Mercalli Scale is a scale from _______ .

A) 1 to 10 that rates the energy released by an earthquake
B) 1 to 12 that rates the energy required for faulting to occur
C) I to X that rates the total energy released during the main quake and all aftershocks
D) I to XII that rates the structural damage due to an earthquake

Question 22

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan killed approximately 21,000 people while the 2010 earthquake in Haiti killed approximately 316,000 people because _______.

A) the earthquake in Haiti was a larger magnitude released more energy. than the one in Japan
B) the construction methods in Haiti were not as good as those used in Japan
C) the population of Haiti was much greater than that of northern Japan where the earthquake occurred
D) the earthquake in Haiti generated a very large tsunami that killed most of the people
E) All of the above were factors.

Question 23

What type of earthquake wave causes the greatest damage?

A) surface wave
B) P wave
C) S wave
D) body wave

Question 24

Liquification, where normally solid material behaves more like a fluid during an earthquake, occurs because_______ .

A) rock particles dissolve and mix with the fluids in the subsurface to become a liquid
B) friction from the vibrations melt rock and produce magmas
C) cracking in the rocks allows fluids to flow into the area and increase the amount of liquids in the subsurface
D) pore spaces between particles in unconsolidated sediments close and displace fluids

Question 25

Felt earthquakes usually last for_______ .

A) 10 to 60 seconds
B) 1 to 10 minutes
C) 1 to 10 seconds
D) less than 1 second they are instantaneous.

Question 26

A tsunami can occur _______.

A) when an earthquake occurs in the seafloor like along an oceanic plate boundary
B) any time there is an earthquake anywhere
C) when an explosive volcanic eruption occurs in someplace like Hawaii or Alaska
D) when an earthquake occurs along a coastline like in Japan or Indonesia
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 27

Consider the below photograph. What does this illustrate about the nature of earthquake destruction?

A) Earthquake destruction takes a long time to occur. In a year's time, the seemingly intact building may look the same as the destroyed building.
B) Earthquake destruction is not widespread. It often destroys only a building or two.
C) Different building codes matter greatly. Buildings that can take earthquake stresses often survive without damage while others build differently face total destruction.
D) Earthquake destruction is very sporadic. Like tornadoes, it may hit one street block hard and completely miss another.

Question 28

Which of the following is determined by making direct observations in the area affected by an earthquake?

A) epicenter
B) intensity
C) focus or hypocenter
D) magnitude

Question 29

If you are on a beach, you might recognize that a tsunami is approaching because_______ .

A) the water will withdraw from the beach farther than usual
B) waves will gradually get closer together and approach the beach faster than normal
C) the water will run up on the beach farther than usual
D) waves will gradually get higher and higher as the tsunami approaches

Question 30

Structural damage from seismic vibrations would be worse _______.

A) where buildings are made mostly of wood
B) where the focus is about 800 kilometers below the surface
C) where buildings were built to code on solid rock
D) where older buildings were built on a thick layer of sediment

Question 31

The figure below shows the intensity of an Earthquake in northern California that affected much of the same areas that were damaged by the 1906 earthquake in a very similar manner. Based on this information,_______ .

A) construction methods are clearly inadequate in the high intensity areas, and all homes in those areas need to be reinforced
B) in general, the current building codes are inadequate and people should be aware of the hazards in this area
C) people who live in the high intensity regions should consider purchasing earthquake insurance
D) people should not be allowed to build homes in the intensity VIII regions because the U.S. taxpayer has to pay to rebuild after such an earthquake

Question 32

Approximately how much more energy is released in a 6.5 Richter magnitude earthquake than in one with a Richter magnitude of 5.5?

A) construction methods are clearly inadequate in the high intensity areas, and all homes in those areas need to be reinforced
B) people should not be allowed to build homes in the intensity VIII regions because the U.S. taxpayer has to pay to rebuild after such an earthquake
C) in general, the current building codes are inadequate and people should be aware of the hazards in this area
D) people who live in the high intensity regions should consider purchasing earthquake insurance

Question 33

The best building material to use in an earthquake prone region is_______ .

A) brick
B) concrete
C) stone
D) wood

Question 34

Look at the below diagram What does the above diagram show as relating to locating an earthquake epicenter?

A) This is an example of using triangulation to correctly pinpoint an epicenter.
B) It is possible to determine the depth of the earthquake through the use of three epicenters.
C) Three is not a sufficient number of seismic stations to locate an earthquake epicenter.
D) Only one of the three circle radius readings is needed. The other two are simply to check the location determined from the first.

Question 35

The Richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the_______ .

A) amplitude of the largest seismic wave
B) arrival time of P and S waves
C) intensity of the earthquake
D) duration of the earthquake

Question 36

Which of the following is determined by measuring the amplitude of waves recorded from an earthquake?

A) intensity
B) focus or hypocenter
C) epicenter
D) magnitude

Question 37

One measurement that is widely used to determine how far the focus of an earthquake is from the seismograph where it is recorded is _______.

A) the difference in travel time between the P and the S wave
B) the amplitude of the P- wave
C) the difference in amplitude between the P and the S wave
D) the amplitude of the S- wave

Question 38

Why is the Moment magnitude scale favored over the Richter magnitude scale?

A) The Richter magnitude always underestimates the amount of energy released by an earthquake.
B) The moment magnitude carries the calculated values out to more decimal places so it is more precise.
C) The Moment magnitude measures the total energy released by an earthquake.
D) The Richter magnitude is based on older models of seismographs that are no longer used to record earthquakes.

Question 39

Which of the following is not a significant factor contributing to the damage caused by an earthquake?

A) the construction techniques and materials used in the region
B) the proximity to a plate boundary
C) the types of ground materials that are built on in the region
D) the duration of the vibrations

Question 40

_______is the maximum possible damage designation on the Mercalli scale.

A) X
B) 10
C) XII
D) 3

Question 41

Oceanic crust is composed primarily of_______ .

A) andesite
B) basalt
C) granite
D) sandstone

Question 42

Seismic gaps are places where scientists think that _______.

A) faults are creeping smoothly
B) faults are storing elastic strain
C) faults are storing stress
D) earthquakes are unlikely to occur

Question 43

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) epicenter
B) seismograph
C) focus
D) fault

Question 44

Earthquake prediction is_______ .

A) not possible
B) somewhat good for very long term statistical analyses based on ideas like mapping seismic gaps
C) generally good if you live in an area along a plate boundary because we know how fast the plates are moving and can measure the stress accumulation
D) possible for short times before some earthquakes based on things like animal behavior, but the U.S. does not make use of this method

Question 45

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) body wave
B) surface wave
C) P wave
D) S wave

Question 46

During the earliest history of the earth, _______.

A) the temperature increased so that iron and nickel melted
B) the earth was cold and lacked any source of heat
C) almost all of the material was radioactive, and it decayed to the compositions we have today
D) the earth did not have any radioactive material

Question 47

The deepest well that has ever been drilled on the earth is _______deep, about 1/500^th of the radius of the earth.

A) 31.4 km
B) 20.7 km
C) 12.3 km
D) 40.5 km

Question 48

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) amplitude
B) fire
C) liquefaction
D) tsunami

Question 49

What is the probability that a large earthquake M > 6.7. will occur in the San Francisco area between 2003 and 2032?

A) 44%
B) 62%
C) 85%
D) 23%

Question 50

Which of the following is not a way that seismic waves travel in the earth?

A) diffraction
B) diffusion
C) refraction
D) reflection

Question 51

What is the major difference between the crust and the lithosphere?

A) The crust is located above the lithosphere.
B) The crust is the rigid part of the earth and the lithosphere will flow.
C) The crust is located between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere.
D) The crust is compositionally distinct from the mantle, but the lithosphere is the rigid part of the crust and mantle.
E) The crust is cool and the lithosphere is hot.

Question 52

Earthquakes with a very deep focus are usually located along ._______

A) a divergent plate boundary such as the Mid- Atlantic Ridge
B) a transform boundary such as the San Andreas
C) a convergent boundary such as the Peru- Chile trench
D) a hot spot chain such as the Hawaiian Islands

Question 53

The earth's major layers formed because_______ .

A) the chemical composition of the solar nebula changed over time
B) the earth was heated after its formation resulting in melting and subsequent sinking of heavier materials
C) the earth's mantle grew like a crystal forming around the earth's core but the crust was exposed to space and stayed more like the original material
D) radioactive decay caused materials to change over time and resulted in the layering

Question 54

Short term earthquake prediction research has focused on _______.

A) measuring the rate of motion on various faults and the strength of the rocks along the faults to determine when the stress buildup will exceed the strength of the rocks
B) measuring vertical changes in elevation along faults to determine whether a fault zone is inflating before a major rupture
C) looking for precursors such as changes in topography, animal behavior, foreshocks, radon emission, etc., that might signal an imminent earthquake
D) looking at when and where earthquakes have occurred in the past to develop a model for the timing of future earthquakes

Question 55

Large megathrust earthquakes in the Alps and Atlas Mountains on either side of the Mediterranean Sea. are generally due to_______ .

A) the collision of the Indian Plate with Eurasia
B) the collision of the African Plate with Eurasia
C) the collision of the African Plate with Southeast Asia
D) the collision of the Indian Plate with Southeast Asia

Question 56

Long term earthquake prediction is based on_______ .

A) the assumption that large faults break in a cyclical manner, meaning that they tend to occur over and over again in the same places through time
B) observations of things like animal behavior, radon gas emissions, and changes in topography
C) measurements of the plate motions and rate of stress accumulation
D) measurements of strain accumulation

Question 57

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) organic matter
B) mantle
C) crust
D) core

Question 58

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) Richter
B) energy
C) Modified Mercalli
D) amplitude

Question 59

The next large earthquake on the San Andreas Fault zone in California is considered likely to be _______.

A) in northern California because the last major earthquake was in central California and the plate boundary is moving the stress to the northwest
B) in Southern California because it has been nearly 300 years since the last major earthquake in that area
C) in San Francisco because large earthquakes there are thought to occur every 75 years and the last large earthquake was in 1906
D) All of the fault system is considered equally likely because the plate motion is uniform and all areas are affected equally.

Question 60

The earth's major layers formed because _______.

A) the earth was heated after its formation resulting in melting and redistribution of major chemical compositions
B) the earth's mantle grew like a crystal forming around the earth's core but the crust was exposed to space and stayed more like the original material
C) radioactive decay caused materials to change over time and resulted in the layering
D) the chemical composition of the solar nebula changed over time

Question 61

A few days before a major earthquake in China, in this chapter it is described where residents in one village in the area reported the streets were filled with _______that might have indicated the impending event.

A) liquefaction mud
B) small cracks
C) migrating toads
D) fallen buildings

Question 62

In North America the highest potential for large tsunamis is in the coastal regions of _______.

A) the Pacific Coast and Hawaii
B) the eastern seaboard
C) Louisiana
D) the Hudson Bay

Question 63

Most earthquakes occur along _______plate boundaries.

A) convergent
B) divergent
C) transform
D) hot spot

Question 64

In the open ocean, tsunamis travel at about the same speed as a_______ .

A) vehicle on the interstate
B) person walking at an average pace
C) commercial airliner
D) cheetah running

Question 65

An earthquake magnitude scale is a measure of_______ .

A) ground shaking
B) speed of wave travel
C) building damage
D) energy released

Question 66

S waves can travel through_______ .

A) solid media only
B) liquid media only
C) both liquid and solid media
D) neither liquid nor solid media

Question 67

Turnagain Heights, was badly damaged by a _______ during the 1964 Alaskan earthquake.

A) fire
B) surface wave
C) landslide
D) tsunami

Question 68

The _______of an earthquake is on the surface of the Earth directly above the focus.

A) seismic gap
B) seismogram
C) epicenter
D) P wave

Question 69

The_______ is the site of initial rupturing associated with an earthquake.

A) fault
B) epicenter
C) focus
D) seismic zone

Question 70

Earthquakes result from the _______release of elastic energy previously stored in rocks surrounding a zone of movement.

A) rapid; fault
B) slow; wave
C) slow; fault
D) rapid; wave

Question 71

Use one of the following five terms to fill in the blanks for the questions below: Continental crust, Asthenosphere, Mantle, Lithosphere, Oceanic crust

-The upper part of the _______has the approximate composition of peridotite.

A) continental crust
B) asthenosphere
C) mantle
D) lithosphere
E) oceanic crust

Question 72

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

A) stops
B) increases
C) decreases
D) stays the same

Question 73

During the Alaskan earthquake of 1964, the buildings that survived the best were made of_______ .

A) brick
B) wood
C) mud
D) stone

Question 74

Use one of the following five terms to fill in the blanks for the questions below: Continental crust, Asthenosphere, Mantle, Lithosphere, Oceanic crust

-The upper part of the_______ has the approximate composition of granite.

A) continental crust
B) asthenosphere
C) mantle
D) lithosphere
E) oceanic crust

Question 75

The ocean ridge systems that make up the major divergent plate boundaries are a source of frequent_______ .

A) small earthquakes
B) major earthquakes
C) landslides
D) tsunamis

Question 76

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) core
B) lithosphere
C) mantle
D) asthenosphere

Question 77

Oceanic crust is _______than continental crust.

A) lighter
B) denser
C) thicker
D) more granitic

Question 78

There are_______ earthquakes around the world every day.

A) thousands
B) one or two
C) ten or twenty
D) hundreds

Question 79

The _______scale is an earthquake magnitude scale is based on the energy released by the earthquake.

A) Modified Richter
B) Mercalli
C) seismograph
D) Richter

Question 80

Strike- slip faults are common along _______plate boundaries.

A) convergent
B) transform
C) hot spot
D) divergent