Unit 6: Earthquake & Volcano Vocab

Front

What is a strike slip fault?

Back

A type of fault in which rocks on either side move past each other sideways with little up or down motion; example: San Andreas Fault; earthquakes occur here.

Front

What is an earthquake?

Back

Shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves.

Front

What are seismic waves?

Back

Vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake.

Front

What does the Richter scale measure?

Back

The magnitude and strength of earthquakes.

Front

What is a volcano?

Back

An opening in the Earth's crust that allows molten rock, ash, and gases to escape.

Front

What is magma?

Back

Molten (melted) rock under the earth's surface.

Front

What is the Ring of Fire?

Back

A string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around the edges of the Pacific Ocean.

Front

What is a shield volcano?

Back

A type of volcano named for its shape, resembling a shield lying on the ground; quiet eruptions; can be active for hundreds of years.

Front

What is a cinder cone volcano?

Back

A type of volcano with steep sides, explosive eruptions, short-lived (usually erupts once).

Front

What is a composite volcano?

Back

A type of volcano that forms at convergent boundaries; can be quiet or explosive.