Earthquakes Chapter Test A Multiple Choice Write the letter of the correct answer on the line at the left. 1. Stress that pushes a mass of rock in two opposite directions is called a. shearing. b. tension. c. compression. d. deformation. 2. Which of the following can cause damage days or months after a large earthquake? a. the arrival of surface waves b. convection c. a tsunami d. an aftershock 3. In a normal fault, the part of the fault that lies below the other part is called the a. hanging wall. b. reverse fault. c. footwall. d. anticline. 4. Which type of stress force produces reverse faults? a. shearing b. tension c. compression d. deformation 5. A fold in rock that bends upward into an arch is called a(n) a. anticline. b. syncline. c. plateau. d. canyon. 6. A large area of flat land elevated high above sea level is called a a. syncline. b. plateau. c. canyon. d. fault. 1
7. The point beneath Earth s surface where rock breaks under stress and triggers an earthquake is called the a. syncline. b. footwall. c. epicenter. d. focus. 8. The type of seismic waves that arrive at the surface first and move by compressing and expanding the ground like an accordion are called a. S waves. b. P waves. c. Surface waves. d. Mercalli waves. 9. The rating system that estimates the total energy released by an earthquake is called the a. Richter scale. b. moment magnitude scale. c. mechanical seismograph scale. d. Mercalli scale. 10. Suppose an earthquake causes buildings to shake in Los Angeles and Seattle. Seismographs in both cities record the earthquake's seismic waves. In Los Angeles, the first S wave arrived 3 minutes after the first P wave. In Seattle, the first S wave arrived 1 minute after the first P wave. Which statement is true about the location of the earthquake s epicenter? a. The epicenter lies halfway between Seattle and Los Angeles. b. The epicenter is closer to Seattle than to Los Angeles. c. The epicenter is closer to Los Angeles than to Seattle. d. There is no way to determine which city the epicenter is closer to. 11. Maria uses a computer to plot the location of earthquakes that have occurred on Earth during the last 15 years and that had a magnitude greater than 5.0. When she is finished, which map will Maria's map be most similar to? a. A map showing the location of Earth s mid-ocean ridges. b. A map showing the boundaries of Earth s tectonic plates. c. A map showing the topography of the continents. d. A map showing the topography of the ocean floor. 2
12. Reliable information about where earthquakes occur comes from a person or an organization that is not a. scientific. b. biased. c. honest. d. objective. Completion Fill in the line to complete each statement. 13. The stress force that pulls on the crust where two plates are moving apart is called. 14. The block of rock that lies above a fault is called the. 15. Shearing creates faults, like the San Andreas fault in California. 16. The seismic waves that travel along Earth s surface and produce the most severe ground movements are called. 17. A seismograph uses a to record the drum's vibrations. True or False If the statement is true, write true. If it is false, change the underlined word or words to make the statement true. 18. The squeezing together of rocks by stress is called shearing. 19. In a strike-slip fault, the rocks on either side of the fault slip past each other sideways. 20. An upward fold in a rock is called a plateau. 21. When an earthquake occurs, S waves are the first seismic waves to arrive at a given location. 22. With the range of data available, geologists cannot predict exactly where and when earthquakes will occur. 3
Using Science Skills Use the diagram to answer each question. 23. Describe the rock layers shown in Diagram A and any forces acting on the rock. 24. Contrast the plate movements that cause the stresses in Diagrams B and C. 25. Will a normal fault result from the stresses being applied to the rock unit in Diagram D? Explain. Essay Write an answer for each of the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. 26. Distinguish between the focus and the epicenter of an earthquake. 27. Explain how geologists use seismic waves to locate an earthquake's epicenter. 4
Using Science Skills Use the diagram to answer each question. 28. What kind of risk is shown on the map and how is this risk determined? 29. How do California and Nevada compare in possible severity of earthquake damage? 30. In which part of Maine should you live if you want the least possible risk of damage from an earthquake? Explain. 31. Sarah wants to become a structural engineer. She knows that structural engineers analyze, design, and plan structures that ensure the safety and well-being of people who use or occupy the structures. How should office towers and bridges that Sarah designs for southern New York differ from office towers and bridges she designs for the west coast of California? 5
Essay Write an answer for each of the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. 32. Describe how a seismograph works. 33. Describe the Modified Mercalli Scale. Explain why it is useful. 6