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earthquakes
vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Earthquake | a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action. |
| fault | a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock. |
| seismic wave | vibrations in the earth that transmit energy and occur during seismic activity |
| focus | a point at which rays of light, heat, or other radiation meet after being refracted or reflected. |
| epicenter | the location on the surface of the Earth directly above where the earthquake starts |
| volcano | openings, or vents where lava, tephra (small rocks), and steam erupt onto the Earth's surface. |
| hot spot | a large plume of hot mantle material rising from deep within the Earth |