Understanding Earthquakes

The video tutorial by Emerald Robinson explores earthquakes, explaining their occurrence, frequency, and the science behind them. It delves into plate tectonics, describing how the earth's crust and mantle are divided into plates that move and interact at faults, leading to earthquakes. The video also covers the mechanics of earthquakes, including the focus and epicenter, and discusses how their strength is measured using the moment magnitude scale. Finally, it highlights the impact of earthquakes on the planet and the importance of engineering and scientific efforts to predict and mitigate their effects.

What is the estimated number of earthquakes that occur worldwide each year?

• 100,000

• 900,000

• 500,000

• 1,000,000

What are the large pieces that the Earth's crust and mantle are broken into called?

• Faults

• Epicenters

• Seismic waves

• Tectonic plates

Where do most earthquakes occur?

• At the edges of tectonic plates

• At the center of tectonic plates

• In desert regions

• In the middle of the ocean

What causes tectonic plates to become stuck together?

• Gravity

• Friction

• Magnetism

• Wind

What happens when the force moving tectonic plates overcomes the force holding them together?

• The plates move smoothly

• The plates break apart suddenly

• The plates become larger

• The plates stop moving

What is the term for the point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake's focus?

• Tectonic center

• Epicenter

• Seismic point

• Fault line

What scale was used before 1979 to measure the size of earthquakes?

• Richter Scale

• Moment Magnitude Scale

• Earthquake Intensity Scale

• Seismic Scale

What is the maximum magnitude recorded on the Moment Magnitude Scale?

• 8.5

• 9.5

• 10.5

• 7.5

What is the role of seismologists in relation to earthquakes?

• To increase earthquake frequency

• To stop earthquakes

• To study and predict earthquakes

• To create earthquakes

How do engineers help mitigate the impact of earthquakes?

• By reducing the number of earthquakes

• By stopping tectonic plate movements

• By creating earthquake-resistant buildings

• By predicting earthquakes