Earthquake Terminology

Front

What occurs when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another?

Back

Earthquake

Front

What is the location directly above where the earthquake starts?

Back

Epicenter

Front

What is the surface where two blocks of the earth slip past one another called?

Back

Fault/Fault plane

Front

What is the location below the earth's surface where the earthquake starts?

Back

Focus/Hypocenter

Front

What term describes how the size of an earthquake is labeled?

Back

Magnitude

Front

What are areas of major faults and fractures where magma is forced upward into the fractures and faults that form as the plates separate in divergent volcanoes?

Back

Rift zones

Front

What is the scale used to measure the intensity of earthquakes based on the damage they cause?

Back

Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale

Front

What geological feature is formed at the boundary where two tectonic plates collide?

Back

Convergent boundary

Front

What is the name of the instrument used to measure and record the vibrations of earthquakes?

Back

Seismometer

Front

What is the name of the scale that quantifies the amount of energy released by an earthquake?

Back

Richter scale