Earthquakes

Stress that pushes a mass of rock in two opposite directions is called _________.

• shearing

• tension

• compression

• deformation

Which of the following can cause damage days or months after a large earthquake?

• the arrival of surface waves

• an aftershock

• convection

• a tsunami

In a strike-slip fault, the rocks on either side of the fault slip past each other sideways with little _______.

• noise

• shaking

• up-or-down motion

• movement

Which type of stress force produces reverse faults?

• compression

• shearing

• tension

• deformation

The point beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress and triggers an earthquake is called the ______.

• syncline

• footwall

• epicenter

• focus

The type of seismic waves that arrive at the surface first and move by compressing and expanding the ground like an accordion are called _______.

• S waves

• P waves

• Surface waves

• Mercalli waves

A force that acts on rock to change its shape or volume is called _________.

• an aftershock

• friction

• stress

• convection

S waves are also known as ________.

• primary waves

• secondary waves

• surface waves

• focus waves

Compared to P waves and S waves, surface waves move _____.

• faster

• slower

• at the same rate

• farther from the epicenter

Which scale would most likely be used to tell how much earthquake damage was done to homes and other buildings?

• the Richter scale

• the Mercalli scale

• the moment magnitude scale

• the seismic scale