The Inside of the Earth
Plate Tectonics
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
100
What are the three main layers of the Earth (in order, from outside to inside)?
core, mantle, crust
100
Define tectonic plate.
a piece of the Earth's crust; can be either continental or oceanic
100
What are the three types of seismic (earthquake) waves?
P-waves, S-waves and surface waves
100
What are the four ways to create a tsunami?
earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, meteorites
200
Which layer(s) of the Earth are solid?
the crust and the inner core
200
Why do the tectonic plates move?
convection in the Earth's mantle
200
Which seismic wave travels the FASTEST?
P-waves
200
How is a tsunami's speed calculated?
wavelength / period
300
Which layer(s) of the Earth are liquid?
the outer core (the mantle is what is called 'plastic' -- it moves, but it's not completely a liquid)
300
What is the term for tectonic plates moving away from each other?
divergent
300
Which type of seismic wave cannot travel all the way through the Earth, and why?
S-waves. because the Earth's outer core is liquid, and S-waves travel perpendicular to their direction of motion (meaning they can only travel through a solid)
300
What happens to the speed and height of a tsunami when it gets closer to the shore?
it slows down and gets taller
400
What evidence was used to prove that the Earth is not solid all the way through?
seismic (earthquake) waves
400
Which of the following would you expect to find at a CONVERGENT plate boundary where an oceanic plate is sinking under a continental plate? * mountains and volcanoes along the coast of the continent * a line of underwater mountains and volcanoes * an ocean trench * shallow earthquakes * deep earthquakes
* mountains and volcanoes along the coast of the continent * an ocean trench * deep earthquakes
400
How can you use P-waves and S-waves to tell how far away from an earthquake you are?
the bigger the time difference between when the P-waves arrive at your location and when the S-waves arrive, the farther from the earthquake you are
400
What causes a wave to turn?
a part of the wave slows down
500
How was it proved that the Earth is not solid all the way through?
by comparing the speed earthquake waves WOULD travel if the Earth was solid all the way through to the speed earthquake waves actually DO travel
500
Which of the following would you expect to find at a DIVERGENT plate boundary where two oceanic plates are moving away from each other? * mountains and volcanoes along the coast of the continent * a line of underwater mountains and volcanoes * an ocean trench * shallow earthquakes * deep earthquakes
* a line of underwater mountains and volcanoes * shallow earthquakes
500
What is the difference between magnitude and intensity of an earthquake?
an earthquake's magnitude is determined by the amount of energy it releases; an earthquake's intensity is determined by how much the ground shakes and the amount of damage it causes
500
Why don't tsunami waves "break" (curl over at the top)?
a wave breaks when it is taller than it is wide; a tsunami's wavelength is so long that it never gets taller than it is wide, and therefore never breaks
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