Earthquake Practice Flashcard

Front

What is stress in the context of earthquakes?

Back

Stress refers to the force applied to rocks, which can lead to deformation and ultimately cause earthquakes. The main types of stress are compression, tension, and shearing.

Front

What are the three main types of plate boundaries?

Back

1. Divergent: Plates move apart. 2. Convergent: Plates push together. 3. Transform: Plates slide past each other.

Front

What is a fault in geology?

Back

A fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which can cause earthquakes when the blocks move.

Front

What is a strike-slip fault?

Back

A strike-slip fault is a type of fault where two blocks of rock slide past each other horizontally.

Front

What is a reverse fault?

Back

A reverse fault is a type of fault where the hanging wall moves up relative to the footwall, typically caused by compressional stress.

Front

What is a normal fault?

Back

A normal fault is a type of fault where the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall, typically caused by tensional stress.

Front

What is the focus of an earthquake?

Back

The focus is the point within the Earth where an earthquake originates, and seismic waves radiate outward from this point.

Front

What is the epicenter of an earthquake?

Back

The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

Front

What is magnitude in relation to earthquakes?

Back

Magnitude is a measure of the energy released during an earthquake, commonly measured on the Richter scale.

Front

What is seismic activity?

Back

Seismic activity refers to the frequency, type, and size of earthquakes that occur in a certain area.