Question 1

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.

Accepted Answer

The text states that residents reported the streets were filled with migrating toads, which can be a potential sign of an impending earthquake.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Due to the presence of major tectonic plate boundaries and underwater faults in the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific Coast and Hawaii have a higher potential for triggering large-scale earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis.

Question 3

Most earthquakes occur along _______plate boundaries.

Accepted Answer

Convergent plate boundaries involve two tectonic plates moving towards each other, which often results in one plate being forced downward into the mantle. This subduction zone can cause earthquakes due to the stress and pressure buildup. Divergent and transform plate boundaries can also cause earthquakes, but not as frequently as convergent boundaries. Hot spots are not related to plate boundaries and do not typically cause earthquakes.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

In the open ocean, tsunamis can travel at speeds of up to 500 miles per hour, which is roughly the speed of a commercial airliner.

Question 5

An earthquake magnitude scale is a measure of_______ .

Accepted Answer

The earthquake magnitude scale, such as the Richter scale, measures the amount of energy released during an earthquake. The scale is logarithmic, meaning that each whole number increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in energy release. Therefore, earthquakes with higher magnitudes release exponentially more energy than those with lower magnitudes. The magnitude scale does not necessarily correlate with the level of ground shaking or building damage, which can also be affected by factors such as distance from the epicenter and type of soil or structure.

Question 6

S waves can travel through_______ .

Accepted Answer

S waves, also known as secondary waves, are transverse waves and can only travel through solid media. They cannot propagate through liquid or gas because these substances do not have enough rigidity to support the motion of perpendicular waves. Therefore, option A is the best choice.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

The focus is the site of initial rupturing associated with an earthquake. The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus. A fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock. A seismic zone is an area of the Earth's crust that is prone to earthquakes.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Earthquakes are generally caused by the rapid release of elastic energy that has been stored in rocks along a fault zone. This sudden movement creates seismic waves that propagate through the Earth's crust and cause the ground to shake. While there can be slow movements along faults that do not result in earthquakes, the most common cause of earthquakes is a rapid release of energy.

Question 11

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.

Accepted Answer

The upper part of the mantle has the approximate composition of peridotite, which is a type of ultramafic rock.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

The velocity of seismic waves generally increases with depth in the earth due to the increasing pressure and density of the materials they travel through.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Buildings made of wood have some flexibility and can sway during an earthquake, which makes them less vulnerable to collapse. Additionally, in Alaska, wood is abundant and readily available, making it a common building material.

Question 14

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.

Accepted Answer

The upper part of the continental crust has the approximate composition of granite.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

Divergent plate boundaries are characterized by the separation of tectonic plates, causing frequent small earthquakes as the plates move apart. Major earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis are more commonly associated with convergent plate boundaries.

Question 16

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.

Accepted Answer

The majority of the words (B, C, D) refer to specific layers of the Earth, with "core" (A) also being a layer but not part of the Earth's crust or upper mantle like the lithosphere, mantle, and asthenosphere.

Question 17

Oceanic crust is _______than continental crust.

Accepted Answer

Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust because it is composed mostly of basalt, which is a denser rock than the granite that makes up continental crust.

Question 18

There are_______ earthquakes around the world every day.

Accepted Answer

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), there are on average around 50 earthquakes per day that can be felt by humans, which adds up to thousands of earthquakes per year.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of The _______scale is an earthquake magnitude scale...

Question 20

Strike- slip faults are common along _______plate boundaries.

Accepted Answer

Transform faults occur at plate boundaries where two plates are sliding past each other horizontally. These faults are characterized by strike-slip motion, where the plates move in opposite directions. Therefore, strike-slip faults are common along transform plate boundaries.

Quiz 5: Earthquakes and Earths Interior