Unit 3 Exam Review

Front

What are P-waves?

Back

P-waves (Primary waves) are seismic waves that are the first to arrive at a seismic station. They are compressional waves that can travel through solids, liquids, and gases.

Front

What are S-waves?

Back

S-waves (Secondary waves) are seismic waves that arrive after P-waves. They are shear waves that can only travel through solids.

Front

What is the shadow zone in seismology?

Back

The shadow zone is an area on the Earth's surface where no seismic waves are detected after an earthquake, indicating the presence of a liquid outer core.

Front

What happens to P-waves and S-waves when they reach the Earth's outer core?

Back

P-waves are refracted (bent) and can travel through the outer core, while S-waves are absorbed and cannot travel through liquids.

Front

What is sea-floor spreading?

Back

Sea-floor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates diverge.

Front

What is the movement of ocean crusts at divergent boundaries?

Back

At divergent boundaries, ocean crusts move apart from each other, creating new crust as magma rises to the surface.

Front

What is the average density of continental crust?

Back

The average density of continental crust is approximately 2.7 g/cm³.

Front

What geological feature is formed at convergent boundaries?

Back

Convergent boundaries can form mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic arcs due to the collision of tectonic plates.

Front

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Back

The three types of plate boundaries are convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates move towards each other, often resulting in one plate being forced beneath another.