Earthquakes And Seismic Waves

Question 1

The point beneath earths surface where rock under stress breaks to cause an earthquake

Answer 1

Focus/hypocenter

Question 2

The point on the surface directly above the focus

Answer 2

Epicenter

Question 3

What are seismic waves?

Answer 3

Seismic waves carry the energy of an earthquake all the way form the focus, through earth’s interior and across the surface

Question 4

How do seismic waves carry the energy through an earthquake?

Answer 4

Away from the focus in all directions

Question 5

What are the three categories of seismic waves?

Answer 5

P waves
S waves
Surface waves

Question 6

Shakes buildings from side to side

Answer 6

Surface waves

Question 7

Shakes building violently

Answer 7

S waves

Question 8

Causes buildings to contract and expand

Answer 8

P waves

Question 9

A device that records the ground movement caused by seismic waves

Answer 9

Seismograph

Question 10

What’s the three scales used to measure earthquakes?

Answer 10

Mercalli scale
Richter scale
Moment magnitude scale

Question 11

The shaking and trembling that results from the movement of rock beneath a earths surface

Answer 11

Earthquake

Question 12

Scientists use what to determine the epicenter of an earthquake?

Answer 12

S waves and p waves

Question 13

What scale is based on the amount of damage?

Answer 13

Mercalli scale

Question 14

What scale is based on the size of the seismic waves

Answer 14

Richter scale

Question 15

Which scale is based on the total amount of energy released?

Answer 15

Moment magnitude scale

Question 16

Which wave compress and expands the ground like an accordion

Answer 16

P waves

Question 17

Which wave vibrates from side to side and up and down

Answer 17

S waves

Question 18

Which wave moves the slowest?

Answer 18

Surface waves

Question 19

In what order do the waves arrive at the seismograph?

Answer 19

P waves
S waves
Surface waves

Question 20

A combination of p and S waves that move along the surface and cause extreme damage

Answer 20

Surface waves

Question 21

A number that geologists assign to to an earthquake based on the earthquakes strength

Answer 21

Magnitude

Question 22

How do geologist find the earthquakes epicenter?

Answer 22

They plot three different seismographs in different locations and then draw circles around all three. Where all three circles intersect is where the epicenter is

Question 23

The traces from a seismograph

Answer 23

Seismogram