Earthquake Vocabulary

What is a primary earthquake wave that travels through the body of the earth; so named because it is the first wave to reach a seismograph station during an earthquake.

• P-wave

• S-wave

• Surface wave

• body wave

What is the point on the surface of the earth directly above the focus of an earthquake?

• epicenter

• fault

• focus

• intensity

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What is a fracture in bedrock along which blocks of rock on opposite sides of the fracture move?

• focus

• epicenter

• intensity

• fault

What is the location where the rupture of an earthquake begins and energy is released called?

• epicenter

• focus

• intensity

• S wave

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What is a measure of the damage done by an earthquake called?

• epicenter

• magnitude

• intensity

• focus

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What is a measure of the total amount of energy released at the focus of an earthquake called?

• intensity

• magnitude

• seismic wave

• epicenter

What is a wave generated by earthquake vibrations called?

• seismogram

• surface wave

• seismic wave

• seismology

What is the record made by a seismograph called?

• focus

• seismogram

• epicenter

• seismograph

What is an instrument that detects, records, and measures the vibrations produced by an earthquake called?

• seismograph

• seismogram

• seismology

• focus

Who is a scientist that studies earthquakes?

• meteorologist

• earthquakologist

• seismologist

• volcanologist