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WorksheetsMeasuring Earthquakes
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
Earthquake S-waves do not pass through which two interior Earth layers?
rigid mantle and asthenosphere
asthenosphere and stiffer mantle
stiffer mantle and outer core
outer core and inner core
Which statement correctly compares seismic P-waves with seismic S-waves?
P-waves travel faster than S-waves and pass through Earth's liquid zones.
P-waves travel faster than S-waves and do not pass through Earth's liquid zones.
P-waves travel slower than S-waves and pass through Earth's liquid zones
P-waves travel slower than S-waves and do not pass through Earth's liquid zones.
The epicenter of an earthquake is located 6,500 kilometers away from a seismic station. If the first S-wave arrived at this seismic station at 1:30 p.m., at what time did the first P-wave arrive?
1:20 p.m.
1:22 p.m.
1:38 p.m.
1:40 p.m.
What is the approximate time difference between the first P-wave and the first S-wave recorded at a seismic station located 8000 kilometers from an earthquake's epicenter?
8 minutes 40 seconds
9 minutes 20 seconds
11 minutes 20 seconds
20 minutes 40 seconds
A seismic station is located 7600 kilometers from the epicenter of this earthquake. How many minutes did it take the first S-wave to reach point A?
9 min
11 min
16 min
20 min
Base your answer on the map below, which shows seismograph recording stations at locations A, B, and C. Location D is an earthquake epicenter. The distances from locations A and B to this epicenter are given in kilometers.
Approximately how long did the S-wave take to travel from the epicenter to location A?
11 min 15 sec
9 min 35 sec
5 min 20 sec
4 min 20 sec
At which location is the arrival-time difference between the P-wave and the S-wave greatest?
A
B
C
D
In 8 minutes, an earthquake P-wave travels a total distance of
2,100 km
4,700 km
6,600 km
11,300 km
A strong earthquake that occurs on the ocean floor could result in the formation of
a tsunami
a delta
an El Niño event
an ocean current
The diagram below represents three seismograms showing the same earthquake as it was recorded at three different seismic stations, A, B, and C. Which statement correctly describes the distance between the earthquake epicenter and these seismic stations?
A is closest to the epicenter, and C is farthest from the epicenter.
B is closest to the epicenter, and C is farthest from the epicenter.
C is closest to the epicenter, and A is farthest from the epicenter.
A is the closest to the epicenter, and B is the farthest from the epicenter.
Which of the following is located at a converging plate boundary?
Southwest Indian Ridge
Iceland Hotspot
Marianas Trench
Sandwich Plate
Which two features are commonly found at divergent plate boundaries?
mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys
wide valleys and deltas
ocean trenches and subduction zones
hot spots and island arcs
The difference in arrival times for P- and S-waves from an earthquake is 5.0 minutes. How far away is the epicenter of the earthquake?
2,600 km
3,400 km
4,000 km
8,800 km
A seismogram recorded at a seismic station is shown below. Which information can be determined by using this seismogram?
depth of the earthquake's focus
direction to the earthquake's focus
location of the earthquake's epicenter
distance to the earthquake's epicenter
The first P-wave of an earthquake travels 5600 kilometers from the epicenter and arrives at a seismic station at 10:05 a.m. At what time did this earthquake occur?
9:49 a.m.
9:56 a.m.
10:02 a.m.
10:14 a.m.
Base your answer on the diagram below, which represents seismic stations A, B, and C. The distance from each station to an earthquake’s epicenter is plotted. The epicenter is closest to point
D
E
F
G
The greatest earthquake hazard to homes exists when they are built on
hard igneous rock
sedimentary rock
coarse sediments
silt and mud
Which conclusion based on the analysis of seismic data supports the inference that the Earth's outer core is liquid?
S-waves are not transmitted through the outer core.
S-waves are transmitted through the outer core.
P-waves are not transmitted through the outer core.
P-waves are transmitted through the outer core.
A seismic station recorded an earthquake with an epicenter distance of 4,000 kilometers. If the origin time of the earthquake was 11:00 a.m., what time did the P-wave arrive at the seismic station?
10:53 a.m.
11:05 a.m.
11:07 a.m
11:12 a.m.
The epicenter of an earthquake is located 2,800 kilometers from a seismic station. Approximately how long did the S-wave take to travel from the epicenter to the station?
11 min 15 sec
9 min 35 sec
5 min 20 sec
4 min 20 sec
