Question 1

The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault is a part of the:

Accepted Answer

The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault is indeed part of the Caribbean tectonic plate, runs through Haiti as an east-west trending fault, and was responsible for the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which was of magnitude 7, thus making it a moderate magnitude earthquake.

Question 2

Earthquake-induced ground motions cause buildings to sway.In general,the taller the structure,the _______ the amplitude of shaking in the upper floor.

Accepted Answer

Taller structures have more mass and are more flexible, resulting in greater oscillation when subjected to earthquake-induced ground motions. Therefore, the amplitude of shaking in the upper floors of tall structures is usually greater.

Question 3

The main difference between earthquake magnitude and intensity is ____________.

Accepted Answer

Intensity requires an audience while magnitude requires machines.

Question 4

Buildings made of wood tend to ________ than a stiffer building of brick or concrete.

Accepted Answer

Buildings made of wood have a lower modulus of elasticity compared to brick or concrete buildings. As a result, they are more likely to deform elastically (i.e., bend or sag) rather than fail under compression or suffer brittle failure (i.e., break).

Question 5

The Richter Scale is set up so that for every _______ increase in the amplitude of the recorded seismic wave,the Richter magnitude increases by one,e.g. ,from 4 to 5.

Accepted Answer

The Richter Scale is based on a logarithmic scale that is designed to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. For every 10-fold increase in the amplitude of the recorded seismic wave, the Richter magnitude increases by one. Therefore, Choice C, tenfold, is the correct answer.

Question 6

In Sichuan Province,China,the 2008 earthquake particularly affected:

Accepted Answer

The 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China particularly affected schools, causing the collapse of many poorly constructed school buildings and resulting in the deaths of thousands of students. The earthquake also caused damage to roads, bridges, and private houses, but the impact on schools was the most devastating.

Question 7

The epicentres at divergent zones follow the ______________ and appear at _______ depths.

Accepted Answer

Divergent zones are characterized by thin and stretched lithosphere, which leads to the development of normal faults and the creation of rift valleys. As a result, epicenters at divergent zones follow this pattern and appear at shallow depths. Option A and C are not correct since they mention long depths, whereas shallow depths are more typical of divergent zones. Option B is incorrect because subduction zones are not associated with divergent plate boundaries. Option E is also incorrect because trench zones are more typically associated with convergent plate boundaries, where one plate is subducting beneath another.

Question 8

Earthquakes at hot spots are generated by the ________.

Accepted Answer

Earthquakes at hot spots are generated by the movement of magma below the surface. As the magma rises and interacts with the overlying plate, it causes stress and pressure which can lead to earthquakes.

Question 9

Which of the following would be the lowest on the Mercalli intensity scale?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following would be the...

Question 10

The intensity of an earthquake is influenced by all but which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

The presence of people to record their innermost feelings does not influence the intensity of an earthquake. Intensity is determined by measurable factors such as earthquake magnitude, distance from the hypocentre/epicentre, type of rock or sediment making up the ground surface, and duration of shaking.

Question 11

The moment of magnitude scale is more accurate for big earthquakes because _______.

Accepted Answer

The moment magnitude scale is based on the size of the fault rupture, the amount of energy released, and the physical properties of the rock that ruptured. Therefore, it is more accurate for big earthquakes as it includes the fault-rupture area and energy released.

Question 12

In earthquake prone regions buildings can be reinforced and designed to prevent the likelihood of collapse during an earthquake.Which of the following measures are not designed to prevent building collapse?

Accepted Answer

Brick walls are not designed to prevent building collapse during an earthquake. They are more likely to collapse or suffer serious damage during an earthquake, and therefore, buildings with brick walls need to be reinforced and strengthened using other techniques like those mentioned in options A, B, and C. Option E, adding buttresses, is a reinforcement method that can be used to stabilize and strengthen existing structures, but it is not as effective in preventing building collapse during an earthquake as options A, B, and C.

Question 13

Each year the Earth is shaken by millions of quakes most of which are __________.

Accepted Answer

The majority of earthquakes are below magnitude 2.5 and are typically not felt by humans.

Question 14

Magnitude 2 and less can be compared to _________________ and an acceleration (g)of ___________.

Accepted Answer

Magnitude 2 and less earthquakes are often compared to the I-II Mercalli scale, indicating they are not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions, and they have an acceleration of less than 0.002g.

Question 15

If the magnitude of an earthquake increased from 4 to 8 on the Richter scale the associated amount of energy released from a 4 to 8 magnitude increase would be ________.

Accepted Answer

The Richter scale is logarithmic, meaning each whole number increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release. Therefore, an increase from 4 to 8 (4 whole numbers) on the Richter scale represents a 10^4 (or 10,000) times increase in amplitude and approximately 31.6^4 (about 1,000,000) times more energy release, making the correct answer in the context of energy release more than a million times, which is closest to the option stating 2.8 million times more.

Question 16

Seismic waves were amplified at four sites with different foundation (soil)materials in Ottawa during the 2005 Charlevoix earthquake.At which site were they preferentially amplified?

Accepted Answer

Seismic waves can be significantly amplified by soil, especially in areas with thick layers of soft soil. In the given options, a 50m soil layer would likely have the most pronounced effect on wave amplification due to its thickness and the properties of the soil, which can absorb and amplify the seismic energy more than rock or thinner soil layers.

Question 17

Liquefaction in saturated and poorly consolidated soils occurs when they are shaken or subjected to rapid loading.The result is _____________.

Accepted Answer

Liquefaction causes the water pressure in saturated and poorly consolidated soils to increase, which leads to the loss of strength and stiffness in the soil. Therefore, option B is the correct choice.

Question 18

The magnitude of an earthquake is commonly measured from the __________ of ____________.

Accepted Answer

The amplitude of seismic waves on a seismogram is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake. The higher the amplitude, the stronger the earthquake. The other options do not accurately describe how earthquake magnitude is measured.

Question 19

"Megathrust earthquakes" which release enormous amounts of energy and cause widespread destruction are generated at ___________.

Accepted Answer

Megathrust earthquakes occur at subduction zones where two tectonic plates converge and one plate is forced beneath the other into the mantle. This creates enormous tension and pressure which is released through large earthquakes. Continent to continent collisions can also generate large earthquakes, but not usually of the megathrust variety. Transform faults and hot spots are not typically associated with megathrust earthquakes.

Question 20

Usually,the biggest concern in designing buildings to withstand large earthquakes is the ____________ components of movement.

Accepted Answer

The biggest concern in designing buildings to withstand large earthquakes is the sideways push from the horizontal components of movement. This is because earthquake waves produce strong lateral (sideways) forces that can cause buildings to sway or twist, potentially leading to structural damage or collapse. Engineers need to design buildings that can resist these horizontal forces and remain stable during an earthquake.

Quiz 3: Earthquake Geology, Seismology, and Engineering

The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault is a part of the:

Earthquake-induced ground motions cause buildings to sway.In general,the taller the structure,the _______ the amplitude of shaking in the upper floor.

The main difference between earthquake magnitude and intensity is ____________.

Buildings made of wood tend to ________ than a stiffer building of brick or concrete.

The Richter Scale is set up so that for every _______ increase in the amplitude of the recorded seismic wave,the Richter magnitude increases by one,e.g. ,from 4 to 5.

In Sichuan Province,China,the 2008 earthquake particularly affected:

The epicentres at divergent zones follow the ________ and appear at _ depths.

Earthquakes at hot spots are generated by the ________.

Which of the following would be the lowest on the Mercalli intensity scale?

The intensity of an earthquake is influenced by all but which one of the following?

The moment of magnitude scale is more accurate for big earthquakes because _______.

In earthquake prone regions buildings can be reinforced and designed to prevent the likelihood of collapse during an earthquake.Which of the following measures are not designed to prevent building collapse?

Each year the Earth is shaken by millions of quakes most of which are __________.

Magnitude 2 and less can be compared to _______ and an acceleration (g) of _.

If the magnitude of an earthquake increased from 4 to 8 on the Richter scale the associated amount of energy released from a 4 to 8 magnitude increase would be ________.

Seismic waves were amplified at four sites with different foundation (soil) materials in Ottawa during the 2005 Charlevoix earthquake.At which site were they preferentially amplified?

Liquefaction in saturated and poorly consolidated soils occurs when they are shaken or subjected to rapid loading.The result is _____________.

The magnitude of an earthquake is commonly measured from the of __.

"Megathrust earthquakes" which release enormous amounts of energy and cause widespread destruction are generated at ___________.

Usually,the biggest concern in designing buildings to withstand large earthquakes is the ____________ components of movement.

Quiz 3: Earthquake Geology, Seismology, and Engineering

The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault is a part of the:

Earthquake-induced ground motions cause buildings to sway.In general,the taller the structure,the _______ the amplitude of shaking in the upper floor.

The main difference between earthquake magnitude and intensity is ____________.

Buildings made of wood tend to ________ than a stiffer building of brick or concrete.

The Richter Scale is set up so that for every _______ increase in the amplitude of the recorded seismic wave,the Richter magnitude increases by one,e.g. ,from 4 to 5.

In Sichuan Province,China,the 2008 earthquake particularly affected:

The epicentres at divergent zones follow the ______________ and appear at _______ depths.

Earthquakes at hot spots are generated by the ________.

Which of the following would be the lowest on the Mercalli intensity scale?

The intensity of an earthquake is influenced by all but which one of the following?

The moment of magnitude scale is more accurate for big earthquakes because _______.

In earthquake prone regions buildings can be reinforced and designed to prevent the likelihood of collapse during an earthquake.Which of the following measures are not designed to prevent building collapse?

Each year the Earth is shaken by millions of quakes most of which are __________.

Magnitude 2 and less can be compared to _________________ and an acceleration (g) of ___________.

If the magnitude of an earthquake increased from 4 to 8 on the Richter scale the associated amount of energy released from a 4 to 8 magnitude increase would be ________.

Seismic waves were amplified at four sites with different foundation (soil) materials in Ottawa during the 2005 Charlevoix earthquake.At which site were they preferentially amplified?

Liquefaction in saturated and poorly consolidated soils occurs when they are shaken or subjected to rapid loading.The result is _____________.

The magnitude of an earthquake is commonly measured from the __________ of ____________.

"Megathrust earthquakes" which release enormous amounts of energy and cause widespread destruction are generated at ___________.

Usually,the biggest concern in designing buildings to withstand large earthquakes is the ____________ components of movement.

The epicentres at divergent zones follow the ________ and appear at _ depths.

Magnitude 2 and less can be compared to _______ and an acceleration (g) of _.

The magnitude of an earthquake is commonly measured from the of __.