Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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The
strongest earthquakes usually occur a. | near divergent boundaries. | c. | near transform boundaries. | b. | near convergent
boundaries. | d. | along normal
faults. | | | | |
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2.
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Studying earthquake waves currently allows seismologists to do all of the following
EXCEPT a. | determine when
an earthquake started. | b. | learn about the Earth's interior. | c. | decrease an
earthquake's strength. | d. | determine where an earthquake
started. | | |
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3.
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Strike-slip faults are prominent along ____ plate boundaries a. | convergent | c. | transcontinental | b. | transform | d. | divergent | | | | |
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4.
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Most
earthquakes occur along or near the edges of the Earth's a. | oceans. | c. | rivers. | b. | tectonic plates. | d. | continents. | | | | |
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5.
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____
motion occurs where two tectonic plates slip past each other. a. | Convergent | c. | Transform | b. | Divergent | d. | all of the above | | | | |
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6.
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____
motion causes a reverse fault. a. | Convergent | c. | Transform | b. | Divergent | d. | all of the
above | | | | |
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7.
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____
motion causes a normal fault. a. | Convergent | c. | Transform | b. | Divergent | d. | all of the
above | | | | |
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8.
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The
footwall moves down relative to the hanging wall in ____ faults. a. | normal | c. | reverse | b. | converse | d. | strike-slip | | | | |
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9.
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The
footwall moves up relative to the hanging wall in ____ faults. a. | normal | c. | reverse | b. | converse | d. | strike-slip | | | | |
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10.
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P
waves and S waves are two types of ____ waves. a. | interior | c. | surface | b. | exterior | d. | body | | | | |
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11.
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Which
type of seismic wave travels the fastest? a. | an L wave | c. | an S wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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12.
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Which
type of seismic wave can travel through solids, liquids, and gases? a. | an L
wave | c. | an S
wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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13.
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Which
type of seismic wave cannot travel through liquids? a. | an L
wave | c. | an S
wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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14.
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Which
type of seismic wave is also called a secondary wave? a. | an L
wave | c. | an S
wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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15.
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Which
type of seismic wave is also called a primary wave? a. | an L
wave | c. | an S
wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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16.
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Which
type of seismic wave travels the slowest? a. | an L wave | c. | an S wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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17.
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Which
type of seismic wave causes a shearing effect? a. | an L wave | c. | an S wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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18.
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Which
type of seismic wave is the most destructive? a. | an L wave | c. | an S wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a surface
wave | | | | |
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Examine the illustration below, and answer the questions that
follow.
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19.
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Which
type of seismic wave is illustrated above? a. | a surface wave | c. | an S wave | b. | a P
wave | d. | a body
wave | | | | |
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20.
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Seismologists find an earthquake's start time by comparing seismograms and noting the
difference in arrival times of a. | body waves and surface waves. | c. | S waves and surface waves. | b. | P waves and S
waves. | d. | P waves and
surface waves. | | | | |
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Examine the illustration below and answer the questions that
follow.
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21.
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Which
point in the illustration represents the focus of the earthquake? a. | point
A | c. | point
C | b. | point B | d. | point D | | | | |
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22.
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What
is the minimum number of seismograph stations that is necessary to locate the epicenter of an
earthquake?
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23.
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The
Richter scale is used to measure the a. | length of time an earthquake
lasts. | c. | strength of an
earthquake. | b. | the epicenter of an earthquake. | d. | depth of an earthquake's focus. | | | | |
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24.
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Damage occurs at the epicenter when the magnitude of an earthquake reaches ____ on the
Richter scale.
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25.
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How
much more energy is released by an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.0 than by an earthquake with a
magnitude of 2.0? a. | 1,000 times more
energy | c. | 100 times more
energy | b. | 317 times more energy | d. | 31.7 times more energy | | | | |
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26.
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A(n)
____ is a weight placed in the roof of a building that moves to counteract the building's movement
during an earthquake. a. | active tendon system | c. | base isolator | b. | mass
damper | d. | cross-brace | | | | |
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27.
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A(n)
____ uses sensors and a computer to activate devices that shift a large weight at the base of a
building to counteract the building's movement during an earthquake. a. | active tendon
system | c. | base
isolator | b. | cross-brace | d. | mass damper | | | | |
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28.
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____
absorb seismic waves during an earthquake, preventing them from traveling through the
building. a. | Mass
dampers | c. | Base
isolators | b. | Flexible pipes | d. | Cross-braces | | | | |
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29.
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If
you are in a car on an open road when an earthquake begins, you should a. | stop the car and
remain inside. | b. | stop the car and get out as fast as
possible. | c. | continue driving until you believe the danger is
over. | d. | speed up to get away from the
earthquake. | | |
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30.
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Which
of the following statements best describes current scientific thought concerning the formation of
Earth's moon? a. | Earth's moon was
an asteroid captured by Earth's gravitational field. | b. | Earth's moon
formed when a Mars-sized object collided with Earth. | c. | Earth's moon was
a comet captured by Earth's gravitational field. | d. | Earth's moon was
once a part of Mars that was captured by Earth's gravitational field. | | |
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31.
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When
scientists tried to use a seismograph on Mars, ____ interfered with the machine. a. | dust | c. | wind | b. | water | d. | solar flares | | | | |
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32.
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Scientists study seismic waves on the sun using a satellite called a. | SOHO. | c. | Viking
1. | b. | SSWWS. | d. | GPS. | | | | |
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In
January of 1994, an earthquake in California measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale caused the Santa
Susana Mountains, just north of Los Angeles, to increase in height by 70 centimeters.
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33.
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Which
type of motion would most probably have produced this earthquake? a. | transform
motion | c. | divergent
motion | b. | convergent motion | d. | all of the above | | | | |
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34.
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Along
which type of fault would this earthquake have most probably taken place? a. | a normal
fault | c. | a reverse
fault | b. | a strike-slip fault | d. | all of the above | | | | |
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35.
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What
type of damage would you expect to have occurred with an earthquake of this
intensity? a. | no damage; it
would not even have been felt | b. | no damage; only felt slight shaking at the
epicenter | c. | only damage at the epicenter | d. | widespread
damage | | |
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In
June of 1994 in Northern Bolivia, an extremely deep earthquake—at a depth of 637 km—was
felt all the way from South America to Canada.
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36.
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Which
type of motion would most probably have produced this earthquake? a. | transform
motion | c. | divergent
motion | b. | convergent motion | d. | all of the above | | | | |
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37.
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Along
which type of plate boundary would this earthquake have likely taken place? a. | a transform
boundary | c. | a convergent
boundary | b. | a divergent boundary | d. | all of the above | | | | |
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Examine the table below, and answer the questions that follow.
Worldwide Earthquake
Frequency
(Based on
Observations Since 1900)
Descriptor | Magnitude | Average
occurring annually | Great | 8.0 and
higher | 1 | Major | 7.0–7.9 | 18 | Strong | 6.0–6.9 | 120 | Moderate | 5.0–5.9 | 800 | Light | 4.0–4.9 | about
6,200 | Minor | 3.0–3.9 | about
49,000 | Very
minor | 2.0–2.9 | about 365,000 | | | |
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38.
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Look
at the trends of earthquakes in the table above. Generally, based on observations of worldwide
earthquakes since 1900, with each step down in earthquake magnitude, the number of earthquakes per
year is about a. | 50 to 100 times
less. | c. | 50 to 100 times
greater. | b. | 5 to10 times less. | d. | 5 to 10 times greater. | | | | |
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39.
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In
January of 2001, Kutch, in the Indian state of Gujarat, was the epicenter of a 30-second earthquake
that registered 6.9 on the Richter scale. Using the table above, this earthquake would be described
as a. | minor. | c. | strong. | b. | light. | d. | great. | | | | |
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40.
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How
often does an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale, such as the one in Bolivia in 1994,
occur worldwide? a. | once every ten
years | c. | twice a
year | b. | once a
year | d. | eight times a
year | | | | |
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