Earthquakes and volcanoes Flashcards
seismic waves
the energy waves released by an earthquake
cinder cone volcano
a volcano made of cinder (ashes) with steep sides and a bowl-shaped crater
composite volcano
a volcano made of alternating layers of lava and cinder or ash
dormant
term used to describe a volcano that is not active
earthquake
shaking of the ground caused by the sudden release of energy that is stored in the bedrock
epicenter
the place on the surface of the Earth that is directly above the focus of an earthquake
erupt
the term used when a volcano becomes active
fault
a crack in the bedrock along which rocks break and move during an earthquake
focus
the place deep in the Earth’s crust where an earthquake begins
hot spot
a place under the Earth’s crust at which magma is forced up to the surface because the temperature is much greater than normal
primary wave (P wave)
the fastest of the 3 types of wave released by an earthquake; can pass through solids, liquids and gases
Richter scale
the scale used to measure the strength of an earthquake
secondary wave (S wave)
the second fastest wave released by an earthquake; can travel only through solids
Seismogram
the record of seismic waves detected by a seismograph
seismograph
the machine used to measure the strength of earthquakes
