ThatQuiz Test Library Take this test now
Earthquakes: Unpredictable Forces of Nature
Contributed by: Singh
  • 1. What causes an earthquake?
A) Hurricanes
B) The movement of tectonic plates
C) Volcanic eruptions
D) Tsunamis
  • 2. Which scale is used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes?
A) Fujita scale
B) Saffir-Simpson scale
C) Beaufort scale
D) Richter scale
  • 3. What is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake's origin called?
A) Seismometer
B) Epicenter
C) Plate boundary
D) Focus
  • 4. What is the most common instrument used to detect earthquakes?
A) Barometer
B) Thermometer
C) Seismometer
D) Spectroscope
  • 5. What is a seismogram?
A) A record of ground motion detected by a seismometer
B) A type of seismic wave
C) A sensor for volcanic activity
D) A tool used to predict earthquakes
  • 6. What emergency procedure should you follow during an earthquake?
A) Run outside the building immediately
B) Stand in a doorway
C) Drop, cover, and hold on
D) Ignore the shaking and continue activities
  • 7. What do you call a large undersea earthquake that generates a tsunami?
A) Megaquake
B) Supershear earthquake
C) Cataclysmic quake
D) Megathrust earthquake
  • 8. In which layer of the Earth do earthquakes typically occur?
A) Mantle
B) Outer core
C) Inner core
D) Crust
  • 9. Which city was devastated by a major earthquake and fire in 1906?
A) Chicago
B) Los Angeles
C) New York City
D) San Francisco
  • 10. What is the study of past earthquakes to determine patterns and potential future events called?
A) Astrogeology
B) Paleoseismology
C) Climatology
D) Vulcanology
  • 11. What is the term for the sudden shaking of the ground caused by a sudden slip on a fault?
A) Aftershock
B) Tremor
C) Earthquake
D) Seiche
  • 12. What is a surface wave that produces both vertical and horizontal ground motion called?
A) P-wave
B) Rayleigh wave
C) Love wave
D) Tsunami
  • 13. What is the largest earthquake ever recorded on Earth?
A) 2011 Japan earthquake
B) 1906 San Francisco earthquake
C) 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
D) 1960 Valdivia earthquake
  • 14. Which type of fault results in the hanging wall moving up relative to the footwall?
A) Normal fault
B) Strike-slip fault
C) Thrust fault
D) Reverse fault
  • 15. What is the term for a sudden rise of the sea level caused by an underwater earthquake?
A) Tsunami
B) Swell
C) Riptide
D) Whirlpool
  • 16. What is the minimum number of seismometers needed to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?
A) 3
B) 10
C) 5
D) 1
  • 17. How do scientists categorize the size of an earthquake?
A) Magnitude
B) Intensity
C) Speed
D) Pressure
  • 18. Which country experiences the most earthquakes of any size?
A) Japan
B) United States
C) Mexico
D) China
  • 19. Which instrument is used to measure earthquakes?
A) Thermometer
B) Spectrometer
C) Seismograph
D) Barometer
  • 20. What is the term for a smaller earthquake that follows the main shock of a larger earthquake?
A) Tremor
B) Aftershock
C) Foreshock
D) Shockwave
  • 21. What are the slow, continuous movements of the Earth's crust that are often too small to be felt called?
A) Creep
B) Slide
C) Jump
D) Shuffle
  • 22. What is the term for the study and analysis of earthquakes and seismic waves?
A) Meteorology
B) Geology
C) Seismology
D) Oceanography
  • 23. What is the term for the measure of shaking and damage caused by an earthquake at a specific location?
A) Frequency
B) Magnitude
C) Amplitude
D) Intensity
  • 24. Which type of seismic wave is the fastest and arrives at a location first during an earthquake?
A) P-wave
B) S-wave
C) Surface wave
D) Love wave
  • 25. What is the name for the phenomenon where soil and rock particles temporarily lose their strength during an earthquake?
A) Crystallization
B) Solidification
C) Liquefaction
D) Petrification
  • 26. Which famous ancient city was destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 79 AD?
A) Jerusalem
B) Babylon
C) Athens
D) Pompeii
  • 27. The San Andreas Fault is located in which state?
A) Alaska
B) Arizona
C) Hawaii
D) California
  • 28. What is the name for the phenomenon where an earthquake's energy spreads out and reduces in intensity as it travels through the Earth?
A) Redistribution
B) Propagation
C) Attenuation
D) Erosion
  • 29. The point within the Earth's crust where an earthquake originates is called the:
A) Epicenter
B) Seismic zone
C) Tectonic point
D) Hypocenter
  • 30. Which seismic waves are responsible for the most damage during an earthquake?
A) Love waves
B) P waves
C) S waves
D) Surface waves
  • 31. Which type of building construction is more resistant to earthquake damage?
A) Adobe
B) Reinforced concrete
C) Brick masonry
D) Wood frame
  • 32. Seismic waves that travel within the Earth are called:
A) Surface waves
B) Love waves
C) Rayleigh waves
D) Body waves
  • 33. The Cascadia Subduction Zone, known for its potential to generate large earthquakes and tsunamis, is located along the coast of which continent?
A) Europe
B) Australia
C) Asia
D) North America
Created with That Quiz — where a math practice test is always one click away.