Earthquakes

Which type of stress causes deformation that leads to earthquakes at convergent plate boundaries?

• tension

• rebound

• shear stress

• compression

Which of the following events can produce an earthquake?

• the crash of tsunamis against a shoreline

• movement of tectonic plates along a boundary

• convection of hot rock deep within the mantle

• the violent shaking of sections of the lithosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What happens at a tectonic plate boundary?

• Sea-floor spreading takes place at all tectonic plate boundaries.

• An oceanic plate becomes a continental plate.

• Two tectonic plates interact with each other.

• Continents get smaller as a result of subduction.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What is the break in a body of rock along which one block slides relative to another called?

• fault

• focus

• epicenter

• earthquake

On December 26, 2004, a major tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean. The tsunami traveled from its point of origin to as far away as Africa - nearly 5,000 km. The map below shows the origin of the tsunami and the direction the waves traveled. What was the cause of this tsunami?

• an earthquake beneath the ocean

• the impact of a large meteorite in the ocean

• a sudden violent windstorm above the ocean water

• a typhoon moving form the Indian Ocean toward India

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

How does distance from the epicenter of an earthquake change the earthquake's effects?

• The strongest effects are usually felt near the epicenter.

• The strongest effects are usually felt farthest from the epicenter.

• The strongest effects are usually felt in a line extending north and south from the epicenter.

• The strongest effects are usually felt in a ring surrounding the epicenter with a radius of several miles.

The map below shows the epicenter of some major earthquakes of 2003. Based on the locations of earthquakes, which continent is most likely to contain at least one tectonic plate boundary?

• Asia

• Africa

• South America

• North America

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A major tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 resulting in the loss of thousands of lives. The tsunami was caused by a major earthquake that originated below the point on the map on the ocean floor. The dashed lines on the map indicate the path of the tsunami's waves. What term refers to the point on the ocean's surface indicated by the dot at the center of the waves?

• fault line

• earthquake focus

• earthquake epicenter

• tectonic plate boundary

During the year 2003, the number of earthquakes that occurred was higher than usual. The map below shows the locations of some of these earthquakes. What is the most likely reason that there were no major earthquakes recorded in the interior of the continent of Africa?

• There are no faults in Africa.

• The plate boundary inside Africa is too small to form earthquakes.

• The landmass of Africa is too great to be affected by earthquakes.

• The entire continent of Africa is located on a single tectonic plate.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Many fault lines are obvious at the surface. How can the epicenter of an earthquake be located miles away from a fault line?

• The epicenter is the place of greatest damage, and it can be miles from the site of the earthquake.

• The earthquake happened at a place where there is no fault, so the epicenter is not near a fault line.

• Some large earthquakes have more than one epicenter, and these epicenters can be far from the fault line.

• The fault line does not extend straight down from the surface, so the focus is not directly beneath the point where the fault reaches the surface.