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- 1. Multiple Choice
What happens when stress builds at faults?
Energy is absorbed.
Rock can bend and break.
Plates form on the lithosphere.
Earthquakes develop at Earth's surface.
- 2. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes the focus of an earthquake?
It creates stress in a rock.
It develops in the lithosphere.
It lies above the surface where rock breaks.
It begins about 5 kilometers below Earth's surface.
- 3. Multiple Choice
Which phrase describes a feature of an earthquake's epicenter?
starting point of an earthquake
place around the center of an earthquake
region directly above the focus
point about 100 kilometers deep in the lithosphere
- 4. Multiple Choice
How are S and P waves similar?
They both shake the ground.
They both travel through liquids.
They arrive at the same time.
They both vibrate from side to side.
- 5. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes P waves?
They start as surface waves.
They travel through liquids.
They vibrate from side to side.
They move slower than S waves.
- 6. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes S waves?
They move side to side.
They arrive before P waves.
They travel through liquids.
They occur at Earth's surface.
- 7. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes the Mercalli scale?
This scale measures seismic waves based on their size.
This scale rates an earthquake according to how much damage it causes.
This scale produces a single rating for earthquakes that reach the surface.
This scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake based on the size of the seismic waves.
- 8. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes the Richter scale?
It cannot account for fault movement during an earthquake.
It measures large earthquakes far from the seismograph.
It estimates the total energy released from an earthquake.
It increases in magnitude as amount of damage increases.
- 9. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes a seismograph?
It has a flat graphing surface.
It is used to locate an earthquake’s focus.
It uses a needle on graph paper to measure seismic wave activity.
It measures data used to find the difference between the arrival times of surface waves.
- 10. Multiple Choice
The diagram shows circles drawn by geologists trying to determine the location of an earthquake’s epicenter. What does each star on the map represent?
location of an epicenter
location of a focus
location of a seismograph
location of a wave
- 11. Multiple Choice
The image shows the Great Rift Valley in Africa, an example of a rift valley. Which statement best describes how the Great Rift Valley in Africa formed?
The rift valley formed when the crust pulled apart.
The rift valley formed due to subduction.
The rift valley formed similarly to an island arc.
The rift valley formed at a convergent boundary.
- 12. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes the damage that results from earthquakes?
Amount of damage can be used to determine intensity.
Damage can be measured using the Richter scale.
The amount of damage increases as magnitude decreases.
Earthquakes that cause maximum damage are the most common.
- 13. Multiple Choice
Which is one step that geologists use to find the epicenter of an earthquake?
They look at data from at least one seismograph.
They measure the difference between arrival of P waves and S waves.
They draw circles around the epicenter from three locations.
They obtain information about the intensity of earthquakes from seismographs.
- 14. Multiple Choice
Which feature of Earth is created at mid-ocean ridges?
new island chain
new volcanoes
new continents
new ocean floor
- 15. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes one event that happens at deep-ocean trenches?
Crust is formed.
Mountains are formed.
Seafloor spreading occurs.
Denser plates slide under lighter plates.
- 16. Multiple Choice
Which event is associated with convergent boundaries?
formation of island chains
creation of mid-ocean ridges
creation of convection currents
formation of rift valleys
- 17. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes divergent boundaries?
Divergent boundaries are found only on land.
Subduction occurs at divergent boundaries.
Plates move toward each other at divergent boundaries.
Magma flows from cracks in the crust at divergent boundaries.
- 18. Multiple Choice
Which statement describes the location of an earthquake’s epicenter?
It is located using a single set of data.
It is determined by the depth of the focus.
It is determined by the arrival time of surface waves.
It is located at the point where circles intersect on a map.
- 19. Multiple Choice
Which of the following processes is most likely to cause the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates?
energy produced from volcanic eruptions
magnetic pole reversals
faulting of mountain ranges
convection currents below the lithosphere
- 20. Multiple Choice
What layer of the Earth does the lithosphere float on top of?
mesosphere
outer core
asthenosphere
troposphere
- 21. Multiple Choice
Where do convection currents take place?
crust
mantle
inner core
outer core
- 22. Multiple Choice
What type of plate boundary exists at a mid-ocean ridge?
convergent plate boundary
divergent plate boundary
subduction plate boundary
transform plate boundary
- 23. Multiple Choice
What type of plate boundary are subduction zones associated with?
convergent plate boundary
divergent plate boundary
volcanic plate boundary
transform plate boundary
- 24. Multiple Choice
Continental mountain ranges are usually associated with …
a convergent boundary between oceanic crust and continental crust
a divergent boundary between oceanic crust and continental crust
a convergent boundary between two different continental crusts
a transform boundary between two different continental crusts
- 25. Multiple Choice
What type of boundary exists at the San Andreas Fault?
convergent plate boundary
divergent plate boundary
volcanic plate boundary
transform plate boundary
- 26. Multiple Choice
What type of tectonic plate boundary involves two plates moving away from one another in opposite directions?
convergent plate boundary
divergent plate boundary
volcanic plate boundary
transform plate boundary
- 27. Multiple Choice
What type of tectonic plate boundary involves two plates sliding and grinding past one another horizontally without destroying any crust?
convergent plate boundary
divergent plate boundary
subduction plate boundary
transform plate boundary
- 28. Multiple Choice
At a transform plate boundary…
new lithosphere is formed
lithosphere is neither destroyed or produced
lithosphere is subducted and destroyed
new continental crust is formed
- 29. Multiple Choice
Which type of plate boundary is MOST associated with earthquakes?
transform plate boundary
divergent plate boundary
rigid plate boundary
convergent plate boundary
- 30. Multiple Choice
Which of the following does NOT occur at convergent plate boundaries?
volcanic island arcs
continental volcanic mountain arcs
deep-ocean trenches
rift valleys
- 31. Multiple Choice
Which type of crust is the densest?
continental crust
oceanic crust
asthenospheric crust
mesospheric crust
- 32. Multiple Choice
Which type of crust is the thickest?
continental crust
oceanic crust
asthenospheric crust
mesospheric crust
- 33. Multiple Choice
Which type of crust generally subducts under the other?
continental crust
volcanic crust
transform crust
oceanic crust
- 34. Multiple Choice
Which diagram(s) shows a transform plate boundary?
All of the above.
- 35. Multiple Choice
Which diagram(s) shows a divergent plate boundary?
All of the above.
- 36. Multiple Choice
Which diagram(s) shows a subduction?
All of the above.
- 37. Multiple Choice
Which diagram(s) shows a convergent plate boundary?
All of the above.
- 38. Multiple Choice
In which diagram(s) can an earthquake occur?
All of the above.
- 39. Multiple Choice
In which diagram is a rift valley most likely to occur?
None of the above.
- 40. Multiple Choice
In which diagram is a mid-ocean ridge most likely to occur?
None of the above.
- 41. Multiple Choice
In which diagram is hot spot most likely to occur?
None of the above.
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