Earthquake

Front

What is an earthquake?

Back

An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves.

Front

What causes earthquakes?

Back

Earthquakes are primarily caused by the movement of tectonic plates, which can collide, pull apart, or slide against each other.

Front

What is the epicenter of an earthquake?

Back

The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above where an earthquake originates.

Front

What are P waves?

Back

P waves, or primary waves, are the fastest seismic waves that travel through the Earth and are the first to be detected by seismographs.

Front

What are S waves?

Back

S waves, or secondary waves, are seismic waves that travel slower than P waves and can only move through solids.

Front

What is the Richter scale?

Back

The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake based on the amplitude of seismic waves.

Front

What is the geosphere?

Back

The geosphere is the solid part of the Earth, including the crust and the upper mantle.

Front

What is a seismogram?

Back

A seismogram is a record produced by a seismograph that shows the motion of the ground during an earthquake.

Front

What is the difference between magnitude and intensity of an earthquake?

Back

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, while intensity measures the effects of the earthquake at different locations.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other, causing geological activity like earthquakes.