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An interactive study of earthquakes

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Question
Answer
earthquake   shaking and rumbling of the earth  
Richter Scale   used to assign quake magnitudes  
faults   fractures in the earth's crust  
hypocenter   1st movement in fault  
epicenter   directly above the hypocenter  
seismographs   instrument measuring vibration waves  
Primary Wave   Wave which causes rock particles to move back and forth in the same direction the wave is traveling, the first wave to pass through after an earthquake  
Secondary WAve   Wave which causes rock particles to move at right angles to the direction of wave travel, the second wave to pass through the earth after an earthquake  
Surface Wave   Wave which causes rock particles to move in a backward rolling and side to side swaying motion, this is the most destructive earthquake wave  
Normal Fault   occurs when the two sides of a fault pull apart. The rocks on one side drop down lower than the other side. This is the result of two divergent boundaries undergoing tension. The hanging wall moves downward.  
Reverse Fault   a geological fault in which the upper side appears to have been pushed upward by compression  
Strike Slip Fault   Break in rock caused by shear forces where rocks slide past each other without much vertical movement  
Tension Forces   make rocks move along faults by causing rocks to be pulled apart, causing a normal fault  
Seismic Wave   A wave of energy that travels through the Earth and away from an Earthquake in all directons.  
Seismologist   a scientist who studies earthquakes  
Shadow Zone   area where no seismic waves are detected  
Inner Core   a dense sphere of solid iron and nickel in the center of the Earth  
Outer Core   a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of the Earth  
Mantle   the layer of the earth between the crust and the core  
Magnitude   measurement of energy released by an earthquake; maximum motion shown on a seismograph.  
Liquification   Shaking of the soil makes it at more like a liquid causing buildings to collapse  
Mercalli Scale   a scale that rates earthquakes according to their intensity and how much damage. Uses Roman Numerals  
tsunami   seismic sea wave, generated by a major earthquake in or near an ocean basin  


   


 

 

 

 

 

 
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