Question 1

The diagram on the right shows the record of one earthquake on seismograms at three different stations in a seismic network.These three seismograms show:

Accepted Answer

A) ISCO station is closest to the earthquake 
B) WUAZ station was right at the earthquake 
C) DUG station is farthest from the earthquake 
D) WUAZ is the closest station,followed by DUG,and then ISCO 
E) none of these 
A) ISCO station is closest to the earthquake 
B) WUAZ station was right at the earthquake 
C) DUG station is farthest from the earthquake 
D) WUAZ is the closest station,followed by DUG,and then ISCO 
E) none of these

Question 2

As it grows,a fault rupture that began at depth:

Accepted Answer

A) has an oval shape below the surface 
B) stops growing once any part of the rupture reaches the surface 
C) will grow until the seismic waves reach the surface 
D) will grow until it reaches the mantle 
A) has an oval shape below the surface 
B) stops growing once any part of the rupture reaches the surface 
C) will grow until the seismic waves reach the surface 
D) will grow until it reaches the mantle

Question 3

The Modified Mercalli Intensity rating map on the right shows intensity values that range from more than X to less than III.What does this map show?

Accepted Answer

A) this earthquake had a Richter magnitude of 10 or 11 near the source 
B) this earthquake had a Richter magnitude of 3 or 6 along the East Coast 
C) the earthquake was not felt in southern Florida 
D) shaking was felt only very near to the earthquake 
E) building damage occurred in all of the zones that are shaded on this map 
A) this earthquake had a Richter magnitude of 10 or 11 near the source 
B) this earthquake had a Richter magnitude of 3 or 6 along the East Coast 
C) the earthquake was not felt in southern Florida 
D) shaking was felt only very near to the earthquake 
E) building damage occurred in all of the zones that are shaded on this map

Question 4

How do we determine the location of a recent earthquake?

Accepted Answer

A) measure the amplitude of surface waves in a single station 
B) point video cameras at the landscape to record which way the surface moves 
C) use seismic records from three or more stations 
D) read old newspaper accounts of how the land moved 
E) none of these 
A) measure the amplitude of surface waves in a single station 
B) point video cameras at the landscape to record which way the surface moves 
C) use seismic records from three or more stations 
D) read old newspaper accounts of how the land moved 
E) none of these

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a way that volcanoes and magma can cause earthquakes?

Accepted Answer

A) Volcanic explosions cause seismic waves. 
B) Volcanoes can load the crust,causing faulting and earthquakes. 
C) Many volcanoes have steep,unstable slopes that can cause landslides that shake the ground. 
D) Moving magma within or below the volcano can cause earthquakes. 
E) All of these are ways that volcanoes can cause earthquakes. 
A) Volcanic explosions cause seismic waves. 
B) Volcanoes can load the crust,causing faulting and earthquakes. 
C) Many volcanoes have steep,unstable slopes that can cause landslides that shake the ground. 
D) Moving magma within or below the volcano can cause earthquakes. 
E) All of these are ways that volcanoes can cause earthquakes.

Question 6

The fault scarp in this photograph apparently formed:

Accepted Answer

A) when an earthquake rupture offset the surface 
B) when the area beneath the car was dropped down relative to the area to the left 
C) more than 50 million years ago 
D) when material on the left was compacted 
E) all of these 
A) when an earthquake rupture offset the surface 
B) when the area beneath the car was dropped down relative to the area to the left 
C) more than 50 million years ago 
D) when material on the left was compacted 
E) all of these

Question 7

Sudden movement on a fault can cause a tsunami when:

Accepted Answer

A) a hurricane or cyclone is occurring 
B) the fault suddenly uplifts or downdrops the seafloor 
C) hot water trapped below the seafloor is released 
D) a fault on land has a large displacement 
E) none of these 
A) a hurricane or cyclone is occurring 
B) the fault suddenly uplifts or downdrops the seafloor 
C) hot water trapped below the seafloor is released 
D) a fault on land has a large displacement 
E) none of these

Question 8

Why did the Christchurch earthquake (2011)in New Zealand cause much more damage than the larger Canterbury earthquake (2010)?

Accepted Answer

A) it was larger in magnitude and was deeper 
B) it was closer to a large city with buildings that had been damaged by the earlier earthquake 
C) a large landslide from the Southern Alps mountain range buried the capital city 
D) all of these 
A) it was larger in magnitude and was deeper 
B) it was closer to a large city with buildings that had been damaged by the earlier earthquake 
C) a large landslide from the Southern Alps mountain range buried the capital city 
D) all of these

Question 9

Landslides and volcanic eruptions can cause a tsunami by:

Accepted Answer

A) causing ground shaking 
B) causing large winds and fast-moving pyroclastic flows 
C) causing a large mass of rock to catastrophically displace the water 
D) forming large gas bubbles under water 
E) heating up the water,causing it to expand 
A) causing ground shaking 
B) causing large winds and fast-moving pyroclastic flows 
C) causing a large mass of rock to catastrophically displace the water 
D) forming large gas bubbles under water 
E) heating up the water,causing it to expand

Question 10

If an earthquake occurred near the oceanic trench in this figure,which one of the following hazards is likely to threaten the town of Mesaview?

Accepted Answer

A) ground shaking 
B) liquefaction of soils and other weak materials because of shaking 
C) landslides and other slope failures caused by shaking 
D) destruction by a tsunami 
A) ground shaking 
B) liquefaction of soils and other weak materials because of shaking 
C) landslides and other slope failures caused by shaking 
D) destruction by a tsunami

Question 11

This diagram indicates that:

Accepted Answer

A) S-waves are the first wave to arrive at station and then die out into P-waves 
B) S-waves are the last wave to arrive at the station 
C) P-waves arrive first,followed by S-waves 
D) surface waves arrive first,followed by S-waves and then P-waves 
E) surface waves cause the smallest vibrations 
A) S-waves are the first wave to arrive at station and then die out into P-waves 
B) S-waves are the last wave to arrive at the station 
C) P-waves arrive first,followed by S-waves 
D) surface waves arrive first,followed by S-waves and then P-waves 
E) surface waves cause the smallest vibrations

Question 12

If an earthquake occurred near the oceanic trench in this figure,which one of the following hazards is likely to threaten the town of White Sands?

Accepted Answer

A) landslides and other slope failures caused by shaking 
B) destruction by a tsunami 
C) volcanic material erupted from lava mountain 
D) all of these threaten the town of White Sands 
A) landslides and other slope failures caused by shaking 
B) destruction by a tsunami 
C) volcanic material erupted from lava mountain 
D) all of these threaten the town of White Sands

Question 13

An earthquake generated on this type of fault would most likely be associated with a:

Accepted Answer

A) subduction zone 
B) divergent plate boundary 
C) rift 
D) caldera 
E) transform boundary 
A) subduction zone 
B) divergent plate boundary 
C) rift 
D) caldera 
E) transform boundary

Question 14

What did geologists discover from studying the aftermath of the 1964 Alaskan earthquake?

Accepted Answer

A) some parts of the coastline were uplifted and others subsided 
B) changes in elevation were not systematic,occurring randomly over the area 
C) there was no good explanation for large waves that resulted from the earthquake 
D) fissuring of the ground and ice was limited to an area very near the epicenter 
A) some parts of the coastline were uplifted and others subsided 
B) changes in elevation were not systematic,occurring randomly over the area 
C) there was no good explanation for large waves that resulted from the earthquake 
D) fissuring of the ground and ice was limited to an area very near the epicenter

Question 15

Which area did NOT have casualties caused by the Indonesian earthquake of 2004?

Accepted Answer

A) Indonesia 
B) India and Sri Lanka 
C) islands in the Indian Ocean 
D) the eastern coast of Africa 
E) all of these areas had casualties 
A) Indonesia 
B) India and Sri Lanka 
C) islands in the Indian Ocean 
D) the eastern coast of Africa 
E) all of these areas had casualties

Question 16

The shaded areas on this map have significant earthquake risks because:

Accepted Answer

A) the area is near an active plate boundary 
B) the area is over a subduction zone 
C) there are many active strike-slip faults 
D) stress generated on far-off plate boundaries can reactivate ancient faults 
A) the area is near an active plate boundary 
B) the area is over a subduction zone 
C) there are many active strike-slip faults 
D) stress generated on far-off plate boundaries can reactivate ancient faults

Question 17

Which of the following did NOT cause damage in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?

Accepted Answer

A) ground shaking 
B) a tsunami 
C) fires that broke out after the earthquake 
D) ground ruptures,cracks,and fissures 
A) ground shaking 
B) a tsunami 
C) fires that broke out after the earthquake 
D) ground ruptures,cracks,and fissures

Question 18

Which of the following is true about where earthquakes occur?

Accepted Answer

A) Earthquakes are randomly distributed across most of Earth. 
B) Earthquakes mostly occur away from plate boundaries. 
C) Deep and intermediate-depth earthquakes occur near subduction zones. 
D) Deep earthquakes are most common near rising mantle plumes. 
A) Earthquakes are randomly distributed across most of Earth. 
B) Earthquakes mostly occur away from plate boundaries. 
C) Deep and intermediate-depth earthquakes occur near subduction zones. 
D) Deep earthquakes are most common near rising mantle plumes.

Question 19

On this map of earthquakes near Japan,why do shallow earthquakes occur to the east and deeper earthquakes occur to the west?

Accepted Answer

A) the continental crust is thicker to the east 
B) the crust is hotter near Japan,closer to the volcanoes 
C) there is a continental collision to the east 
D) the subduction zone dips to the west 
A) the continental crust is thicker to the east 
B) the crust is hotter near Japan,closer to the volcanoes 
C) there is a continental collision to the east 
D) the subduction zone dips to the west

Question 20

The top cross section below shows earthquakes along the San Andreas fault before October 17,1989 and the one on the bottom shows earthquakes along the same fault after that date.These two cross sections illustrate that:

Accepted Answer

A) one way to predict the locations of future earthquakes is to identify seismic gaps 
B) San Francisco is due for an earthquake 
C) the most dangerous part of a fault may be one that has not had recent earthquakes 
D) all of these 
A) one way to predict the locations of future earthquakes is to identify seismic gaps 
B) San Francisco is due for an earthquake 
C) the most dangerous part of a fault may be one that has not had recent earthquakes 
D) all of these

The diagram on the right shows the record of one earthquake on seismograms at three different stations in a seismic network.These three seismograms show:

As it grows,a fault rupture that began at depth:

The Modified Mercalli Intensity rating map on the right shows intensity values that range from more than X to less than III.What does this map show?

How do we determine the location of a recent earthquake?

Which of the following is NOT a way that volcanoes and magma can cause earthquakes?

The fault scarp in this photograph apparently formed:

Sudden movement on a fault can cause a tsunami when:

Why did the Christchurch earthquake (2011)in New Zealand cause much more damage than the larger Canterbury earthquake (2010)?

Landslides and volcanic eruptions can cause a tsunami by:

If an earthquake occurred near the oceanic trench in this figure,which one of the following hazards is likely to threaten the town of Mesaview?

This diagram indicates that:

If an earthquake occurred near the oceanic trench in this figure,which one of the following hazards is likely to threaten the town of White Sands?

An earthquake generated on this type of fault would most likely be associated with a:

What did geologists discover from studying the aftermath of the 1964 Alaskan earthquake?

Which area did NOT have casualties caused by the Indonesian earthquake of 2004?

The shaded areas on this map have significant earthquake risks because:

Which of the following did NOT cause damage in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?

Which of the following is true about where earthquakes occur?

On this map of earthquakes near Japan,why do shallow earthquakes occur to the east and deeper earthquakes occur to the west?

The top cross section below shows earthquakes along the San Andreas fault before October 17,1989 and the one on the bottom shows earthquakes along the same fault after that date.These two cross sections illustrate that:

The Nature of Geology

Investigating Geologic Questions

Plate Tectonics

Earth Materials

Igneous Environments

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Sedimentary Environments and Rocks

Deformation and Metamorphism

Geologic Time

The Seafloor and Continental Margins

Mountains, basins, and Continents

Climate, weather, and Their Influences on Geology

Glaciers, shorelines, and Changing Sea Levels

Weathering, soil, and Unstable Slopes

Streams and Flooding

Water Resources

Energy and Mineral Resources

Geology of the Solar System

Filters

Exam 12: Earthquakes and Earths Interior

The diagram on the right shows the record of one earthquake on seismograms at three different stations in a seismic network.These three seismograms show:

As it grows,a fault rupture that began at depth:

The Modified Mercalli Intensity rating map on the right shows intensity values that range from more than X to less than III.What does this map show?

How do we determine the location of a recent earthquake?

Which of the following is NOT a way that volcanoes and magma can cause earthquakes?

The fault scarp in this photograph apparently formed:

Sudden movement on a fault can cause a tsunami when:

Why did the Christchurch earthquake (2011)in New Zealand cause much more damage than the larger Canterbury earthquake (2010)?

Landslides and volcanic eruptions can cause a tsunami by:

If an earthquake occurred near the oceanic trench in this figure,which one of the following hazards is likely to threaten the town of Mesaview?

This diagram indicates that:

If an earthquake occurred near the oceanic trench in this figure,which one of the following hazards is likely to threaten the town of White Sands?

An earthquake generated on this type of fault would most likely be associated with a:

What did geologists discover from studying the aftermath of the 1964 Alaskan earthquake?

Which area did NOT have casualties caused by the Indonesian earthquake of 2004?

The shaded areas on this map have significant earthquake risks because:

Which of the following did NOT cause damage in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?

Which of the following is true about where earthquakes occur?

On this map of earthquakes near Japan,why do shallow earthquakes occur to the east and deeper earthquakes occur to the west?

The top cross section below shows earthquakes along the San Andreas fault before October 17,1989 and the one on the bottom shows earthquakes along the same fault after that date.These two cross sections illustrate that:

The Nature of Geology

Investigating Geologic Questions

Plate Tectonics

Earth Materials

Igneous Environments

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Sedimentary Environments and Rocks

Deformation and Metamorphism

Geologic Time

The Seafloor and Continental Margins

Mountains, basins, and Continents

Climate, weather, and Their Influences on Geology

Glaciers, shorelines, and Changing Sea Levels

Weathering, soil, and Unstable Slopes

Streams and Flooding

Water Resources

Energy and Mineral Resources

Geology of the Solar System

Filters