Unit 6: Earthquake & Volcano Vocab

What is a shield volcano?

• A type of volcano that erupts violently and produces ash clouds.

• A type of volcano named for its shape, resembling a shield lying on the ground; quiet eruptions; can be active for hundreds of years.

• A volcano that is primarily composed of explosive lava and ash.

• A type of volcano that forms underwater and creates new landmasses.

What are seismic waves?

• Vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake.

• Waves that are produced by the movement of tectonic plates only.

• Sound waves that can be heard during an earthquake.

• Light waves that illuminate the area during seismic activity.

What is a cinder cone volcano?

• A type of volcano with gentle slopes and continuous eruptions.

• A type of volcano with steep sides, explosive eruptions, short-lived (usually erupts once).

• A type of volcano that forms underwater and erupts lava slowly.

• A type of volcano that is primarily made up of lava flows and has a broad base.

What is the Ring of Fire?

• A string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around the edges of the Pacific Ocean.

• A large ocean current that circulates around the Atlantic Ocean.

• A geological formation consisting of mountains and valleys in the Himalayas.

• A series of underwater caves found in the Caribbean Sea.

What is magma?

• Molten (melted) rock under the earth's surface.

• A type of sedimentary rock found on the surface.

• A solid form of rock that is found in mountains.

• A gas that is released during volcanic eruptions.

What is a strike slip fault?

• A type of fault where rocks move past each other sideways with little up or down motion; example: San Andreas Fault; earthquakes occur here.

• A fault where rocks are pushed together, causing one side to rise over the other; example: Himalayan Fault.

• A fault that occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other, creating new crust; example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

• A fault characterized by the vertical movement of rocks, often leading to the formation of mountains; example: Rocky Mountain Fault.

What does the Richter scale measure?

• The intensity of sound waves.

• The magnitude and strength of earthquakes.

• The speed of wind currents.

• The depth of ocean trenches.

What is a volcano?

• A type of mountain formed by tectonic plates.

• An opening in the Earth's crust that allows molten rock, ash, and gases to escape.

• A large body of water surrounded by land.

• A natural source of geothermal energy.

What is an earthquake?

• A volcanic eruption that causes ground shaking.

• Shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves.

• A weather phenomenon that causes strong winds and rain.

• A tectonic plate movement that leads to the formation of mountains.

What is a composite volcano?

• A type of volcano that forms at divergent boundaries; typically explosive.

• A type of volcano that forms at convergent boundaries; can be quiet or explosive.

• A type of volcano that is always dormant and never erupts.

• A type of volcano that forms from the eruption of lava flows only.