Vocabulary Assessment: Earthquakes, Eruptions, and Other Events that Change Earth

When a large amount of snow falls quickly and becomes a mass of ice and snow that moves rapidly down a mountainside, it is known as a:

• Avalanche

• Earthquake

• Hurricane

• Blizzard

Which term describes a large ocean wave caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions?

• Typhoon

• Tornado

• Tsunami

• Avalanche

What happens when two pieces of the Earth's crust grind against each other and make the ground shake?

• Earthquake

• Tsunami

• Blizzard

• Drought

Which term refers to a mountain that throws out smoke, fire, and melted rock from inside the Earth?

• Volcano

• Glacier

• Canyon

• Desert

What is the underground point where an earthquake begins called?

• Center

• Core

• Epicenter

• Crust

What is a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movements in the Earth's crust called?

• Aftershock

• Tornado

• Earthquake

• Hurricane

The opening in the Earth's crust through which lava, ash, and gases escape during a volcanic eruption is called:

• Geyser

• Tornado

• Vent

• Cave

Which term refers to a steep-sided valley formed by a river cutting through hard rock?

• Mountain

• Canyon

• Plateau

• Desert

What is the process of ice breaking away from a glacier and falling into the sea called?

• Avalanche

• Tornado

• Erosion

• Calving

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and:

• Water

• Lava

• Thunder

• Clouds