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Earthquake and Geological Concepts
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Earthquake and Geological Concepts
Earthquake and Geological Concepts
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1
Question
What defines an earthquake?
Answer
An earthquake is caused by the sudden and rapid movement of the Earth's crust, resulting in friction and the release of energy stored in the rock as seismic waves.
2
Question
What are tectonic plates?
Answer
Tectonic plates are sections of the Earth's crust that exist because of the dynamic nature of the Earth's interior and outer layer, formed due to interactions between the Earth's layers.
3
Question
Name examples of tectonic plates mentioned in the text.
Answer
North American, South American, Juan de Fuca, Scotia, Pacific, African, Cocos, Eurasian, Caribbean, Arabian, Nazca, Somali, Indian, Australian, Philippine Sea.
4
Question
What is the hypocenter (focus) of an earthquake?
Answer
The hypocenter (focus) is the point where an earthquake originates.
5
Question
What is the epicenter of an earthquake?
Answer
The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of the earthquake.
6
Question
What are the two categories of seismic waves?
Answer
Body waves and surface waves.
7
Question
What are P-waves?
Answer
P-waves are compressional waves that travel through the Earth's interior, moving in a push-pull manner and compressing and expanding the material they go through.
8
Question
What are S-waves?
Answer
S-waves are shear waves that also travel through the Earth's interior, moving side-to-side or up-and-down, perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
9
Question
Which seismic waves are faster?
Answer
P-waves are the fastest and are the first to be detected; S-waves are slower and detected second.
10
Question
What are surface waves?
Answer
Surface waves travel along the Earth's surface, cause most damage during an earthquake, and have high amplitude and slow speed.
11
Question
What are Love waves?
Answer
Love waves are a type of surface wave characterized by horizontal side-to-side movement.
12
Question
What are Rayleigh waves?
Answer
Rayleigh waves are a type of surface wave characterized by a rolling motion where the ground moves both vertically and horizontally in the direction of wave propagation.
13
Question
What do seismographs do?
Answer
Seismographs are used to detect and measure seismic waves, helping to locate the earthquake's epicenter and determine its magnitude.
14
Question
What is the difference between magnitude and intensity in earthquakes?
Answer
Magnitude measures the total energy released at the earthquake source, while intensity measures the effect and damage caused by the earthquake at a specific location.
15
Question
What scale is the magnitude of an earthquake measured on?
Answer
Magnitude is measured on a logarithmic scale, specifically the Richter scale.
16
Question
What scale is used to measure the intensity of earthquakes?
Answer
Intensity is measured using the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, ranging from I (not felt) to XXI (severe destruction).
17
Question
What is ground shaking?
Answer
Ground shaking refers to the vibration of the ground during an earthquake.
18
Question
What is the building code?
Answer
The building code is a set of rules that set standards for building construction.
19
Question
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
Answer
Convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.
20
Question
What occurs during ground rupture?
Answer
Ground rupture is the visible splitting and shifting of the Earth's surface along the path of a fault.
21
Question
What defines a strike-slip fault?
Answer
In a strike-slip fault, the movement of rocks on either side of the fault is primarily horizontal.
22
Question
What is a normal fault?
Answer
A normal fault is characterized by downward movement caused by extensional forces that pull the crust apart.
23
Question
What is a reverse fault?
Answer
A reverse fault is characterized by upward movement caused by compressional forces that squeeze the crust.
24
Question
What is liquefaction?
Answer
Liquefaction is the process where shaking causes sediments to compress and fluids are squeezed out, increasing pore water pressure.
25
Question
What factors affect the likelihood of liquefaction?
Answer
Duration, geology, proximity to the fault, intensity of shaking, and density of infrastructure in the area.
26
Question
What is mass wasting?
Answer
Mass wasting is the downslope movement of rocks or sediments under the influence of gravity.
27
Question
What are the signs of a landslide?
Answer
Cracks or bulges in the ground, increased soil content in streams, leaning poles or walls, and unusual sounds like cracking trees.
28
Question
What is a tsunami?
Answer
A tsunami is a series of giant waves generated by large-scale displacement of water, often triggered by earthquakes or major submarine landslides.
29
Question
What are the two types of tsunamis mentioned?
Answer
Local tsunamis and regional tsunamis.
30
Question
What is the role of open-ocean buoys in tsunami detection?
Answer
Open-ocean buoys are equipped with sensors to measure changes in sea level and wave height, allowing for real-time tsunami wave pattern analysis.