Earthquakes

What is an earthquake?

• A) A type of weather event

• B) The shaking of the ground caused by the shifting of Earth's plates

• C) A volcanic eruption

• D) A flood

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Fill in the blank: The cracks where tectonic plates meet and move are called _______.

• faults

• folds

• ridges

• trenches

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which famous fault line is located in California?

• Richter Fault

• Mercalli Fault

• San Andreas Fault

• Pacific Fault

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What tool do scientists use to detect and record the shaking caused by earthquakes?

• seismograph

• barometer

• thermometer

• anemometer

The Richter scale measures the _______ of an earthquake, while the Mercalli scale measures the _______.

• intensity, magnitude

• damage, energy

• magnitude, intensity

• energy, damage

What are seismic waves?

• Seismic waves are waves of energy that shake the ground and travel through the Earth when an earthquake begins.

• Seismic waves are ocean currents that move underwater.

• Seismic waves are wind patterns that occur in the atmosphere.

• Seismic waves are light waves that travel from the sun to the Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Which type of seismic wave is the fastest and can move through both solids and liquids?

• Primary waves (P-waves)

• Secondary waves (S-waves)

• Surface waves

• Tertiary waves

Secondary waves (S-waves) are slower than P-waves and can only travel through ________.

• solids

• liquids

• gases

• vacuum

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

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

• epicenter

• hypocenter

• seismograph

• fault line

How do scientists use triangulation to find the epicenter of an earthquake?

• Scientists use triangulation by collecting information from at least three different seismograph stations. By measuring how long it took for the P-waves and S-waves to arrive at each station, they calculate the distance to the epicenter. The place where all three circles overlap on a map is the epicenter.

• Scientists use triangulation by measuring the temperature at different locations and finding the hottest point, which is the epicenter.

• Scientists use triangulation by observing the direction of animal movement after an earthquake to locate the epicenter.

• Scientists use triangulation by comparing the color of soil samples from different locations to determine the epicenter.