Question 1
Question
The elastic rebound theory for the origin of earthquakes was first proposed by ________ following the ________ earthquake.
Answer
-
Reid; 1906, San Francisco
-
Giuseppe; 1925, Pizza Lake
-
Richter; 1989, Loma Prieta
-
Mohorovicic; 1964, Anchorage
Question 2
Question
When an earthquake occurs, energy radiates in all directions from its source. The source is also referred to as the ________.
Answer
-
inertial point
-
epicenter
-
focus
-
seismic zone
Question 3
Question
Which one of the following statements is correct?
Answer
-
P waves travel through solids; S waves do not.
-
P and S waves travel through liquids, but P waves do not travel through solids.
-
S waves travel through solids and P waves travel through liquids.
-
P and S waves travel through liquids, but S waves do not travel through solids.
Question 4
Question
________ have the highest velocities
Answer
-
Primary waves
-
Secondary waves
-
Surface waves
-
Refracted S waves
Question 5
Question
Which one of the following is true regarding tsunamis?
Answer
-
They travel as deep-water waves at speeds greater than surface seismic waves but slower than S waves
-
Their wave heights decrease and wavelengths increase as they move into shallower water
-
They are started by fault-induced, horizontal shifts in the seafloor that suddenly propel great masses of water in opposite directions.
-
They occur in the open ocean, wavelengths are many miles or kilometers and wave heights are only a few feet.
Question 6
Question
The amount of destruction caused by earthquake vibrations is affected by ________.
Question 7
Question
On a typical seismogram, ________ will show the highest amplitudes.
Answer
-
P waves
-
S waves
-
surface waves
-
body waves
Question 8
Question
Major earthquakes are often followed by somewhat smaller events known as ________.
Answer
-
aftershocks
-
foreshocks
-
tremors
-
hyposhocks
Question 9
Question
The ________ magnitude scale is a measure of the energy released. It does not directly measure the extent of building damage.
Answer
-
Gutenberg
-
Reid
-
Mercalli
-
Richter
Question 10
Question
The instrument that records earthquake events is termed a ________.
Answer
-
polygraph
-
thermograph
-
seismograph
-
barograph
Question 11
Question
________ is the maximum possible damage designation on the Mercalli scale.
Question 12
Question
The position on Earth's surface directly above the earthquake source is called the ________.
Answer
-
epicenter
-
inertial point
-
focus
-
seismic zone
Question 13
Question
The mechanism by which rocks store and eventually release energy in the form of an earthquake is termed ________.
Answer
-
elastic rebound
-
seismic rebound
-
fault displacement
-
stress fracture
Question 14
Question
Overall, this type of seismic wave is the most destructive.
Answer
-
P wave
-
S wave
-
surface wave
-
tsunami
Question 15
Question
Approximately how much more energy is released in a 6.5 Richter magnitude earthquake than in one with magnitude 5.5?
Answer
-
3000 times
-
3 times
-
300 times
-
30 times
Question 16
Question
P waves ________.
Answer
-
propagate only in solids
-
are faster than S waves and surface waves
-
have higher amplitudes than do S waves
-
produce the strongest ground shaking
Question 17
Question
The Mercalli Scale is a scale from ________.
Answer
-
1 to 12 that rates the energy required for faulting to occur
-
1 to 10 that rates the energy released by an earthquake
-
I to XII that rates the structural damage due to an earthquake
-
I to X that rates the total energy released during the main quake and all aftershocks
Question 18
Question
The distance between a seismological recording station and the earthquake source is determined from the ________.
Answer
-
earthquake magnitude
-
intensity of the earthquake
-
length of the seismic record
-
arrival times of P and S waves
Question 19
Question
The Richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the ________.
Answer
-
duration of the earthquake
-
intensity of the earthquake
-
arrival time of P and S waves
-
amplitude of the surface waves
Question 20
Question
Which one of the following best characterizes tsunamis?
Answer
-
They cause the land to ripple and oscillate.
-
They are faster than seismic surface waves.
-
They have relatively small amplitudes compared to their very long wavelengths.
-
They are easily seen at sea but are lost in the swell and breaking waves along a coast.
Question 21
Question
The ________ earthquake was accompanied by extensive fire damage.
Answer
-
Anchorage, 1964
-
San Francisco, 1906
-
Mexico City, 1985
-
Yerevan, Armenia, 1988
Question 22
Question
________ refers to the tendency for a foundation material to lose its internal cohesion and fail mechanically during earthquake shaking.
Answer
-
Slurrying
-
Liquefaction
-
Motion slip
-
Seismoflowage
Question 23
Question
The record of an earthquake obtained from a seismic instrument is a(n) ________.
Answer
-
seismograph
-
seismogram
-
time-travel graph
-
epigraph
Question 24
Question
Most of our knowledge about Earth's interior comes from ________.
Question 25
Question
Which one of the following statements about the crust is NOT true?
Answer
-
It is the thinnest of the major subdivisions
-
It is thickest where prominent mountains exist.
-
Oceanic crust is enriched in potassium, sodium, and silicon
-
Continental rocks are compositionally different than oceanic rocks
Question 26
Question
The dense core of Earth is thought to consist predominantly of ________.
Question 27
Question
The lithosphere is defined as ________.
Answer
-
a rocky layer having a relatively uniform chemical composition
-
a rigid layer of crustal and mantle material
-
a rocky layer composed mainly of crustal rocks
-
a plastic layer composed mainly of mantle material
Question 28
Question
The average composition of the oceanic crust is thought to approximate that of ________.
Answer
-
granite
-
basalt
-
peridotite
-
iron
Question 29
Question
The average composition of the continental crust most closely approximates that of ________.
Answer
-
granite
-
basalt
-
peridotite
-
iron
Question 30
Question
The Earth's magnetic field originates by ________.
Answer
-
weak electrical currents associated with hot, rising, mantle plumes
-
magnetic mineral grains in the inner core
-
weak electrical currents associated with fluid motions in the outer core
-
magnetization of oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the atmospheric ozone layer by solar radiation
Question 31
Question
The asthenosphere is located ________.
Question 32
Question
Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
Answer
-
P wave
-
S wave
-
surface wave
-
body wave
Question 33
Question
Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
Answer
-
focus
-
seismograph
-
epicenter
-
fault
Question 34
Question
Choose the option which does not fit the pattern
Answer
-
tsunami
-
fire
-
liquefaction
-
seiches
Question 35
Question
Choose the option which does not fit the pattern
Answer
-
Modified Mercalli
-
energy
-
Richter
-
amplitude
Question 36
Question
Choose the option which does not fit the pattern
Answer
-
crust
-
lithosphere
-
core
-
mantle
Question 37
Question
Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
Answer
-
core
-
asthenosphere
-
mesosphere
-
lithosphere
Question 38
Question
S waves can travel through solid and liquid media.
Question 39
Question
The time between the first P-wave and S-wave arrivals is a measure of the distance from a receiving station to the epicenter of the earthquake.
Question 40
Question
Earthquakes result from the sudden release of elastic strain energy previously stored in rocks surrounding a zone of fault movement.
Question 41
Question
Tsunamis are caused by sudden displacement of large volumes of seawater.
Question 42
Question
The Richter earthquake magnitude scale is based on the total amount of energy released by the earthquake.
Question 43
Question
The epicenter of an earthquake is on the surface of the Earth directly above the focus.
Question 44
Question
Unconsolidated, water-saturated soils or sediments provide good foundation materials for buildings and other structures.
Question 45
Question
Oceanic crust is mainly basaltic in composition; the mantle is more like the igneous rock peridotite in chemical composition.
Question 46
Question
Continental crust is generally thicker than oceanic crust.
Question 47
Question
The crust and mantle are solids; the inner core is thought to be solid.
Question 48
Question
The mantle is composed mainly of metallic iron with small amounts of magnesium silicate minerals.