Earthquakes/ Tsunami Flashcards
What happens when plates don’t move past each other smoothly and get hung up?
Stress builds up until they snap!
Where are earthquakes concentrated?
At plate boundaries
What was the Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS) based on?
Based on energy released by earthquale
Where are the most intense earthquakes in the world?
Circum-pacific belt (south east asia/ korea/ japan)
What are some earthquake prone places?
Pakistan, Japan, Turkey, Haiti,
Why are there sometimes earthquakes in the middle of a plate?
Still not sure, but probably related to the reactivation of old faults due to sedimentation
What is an interesting spatial pattern about earthquakes in the US?
EQs east of Rockies often affect much larger areas due to differing geologies–eastern NA is more geologically homogenous; faults are older, carry the seismic waves better
What is a Tsunami?
(Japanese for “harbor wave”): wave train or series of waves generated by impulsive disturbance that vertically displaces water
Where do Tsunamis occur in the US?
Hawaii, Alaska
