Stodgo
Chapter 8: Earthquakes and Earth’s Interior
Study Guide
Directions: please use your notes and textbook to fill in this study guide. The test will have
information from this study guide as well as your notes, so be sure to study both sources.
8.1 - What is an earthquake?
1. What is a fault?
Afault is a break in Earth's crustwhererocksmove
2. What is the elastic rebound hypothesis? Describe the parts and process of this
hypothesis.
says
stressbuilds in rocks theybend then
up snapha
causing an earthquake
3. What fault was involved in the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco?
The San Adreasfaultcaused the1906 San Francisco
earthquake
4. How are an earthquake’s fault, focus, and epicenter related?
Thefaultiswhere theearthquake happensthe focus
is insideEarth
where it starts and the epicenter isdirectlyabovethefocus onthesurface
5. Why do most earthquakes cause little damage and loss of life?
Mostearthquakes are smallandhappendeep underground
6. What is fault creep?
Faultcreepisslow steadymovementalong a fault
8.2 - Measuring earthquakes
1. What are the two main types of seismic waves created by earthquakes?
Body waves P S waves and surface waves
2. Compare and contrast the characteristics of the three major types of waves. (P, S,
Surface)
P waves fastest move through solids liquids
S waves sloweronlythroughsolids Surface
waves slowest causemost
damage
3. What instrument records seismic waves?
A se is mograph records seismic waves
4. What are the three scales that measure earthquakes? Which do we use today?
Richter MomentMagnitude andMercalliscalesWemainlyuseMoment
Magnitudetoday
5. Describe the steps to locate the epicenter of an earthquake.
Usethreeseismicgraph stations to measuretimedifferences
and
drawcirclesTheintersection istheepicenter
6. What is a seismogram?
A seismogram is a record of earthquakwaves
8.3 - Earthquake Hazards
1. What are four different earthquake-related hazards?
Groundshaking liquefactionLandslides tsunamis
2. Describe different ways we have reduced loss of life and increased safety in regards to
Earthquakes.
Strongerbuildings betterwarnings
emergencyplans
safer locations
A tsunamiforms when
3. How does a tsunami occur?
an underwater
earthquake moves the ocean floor
4. Describe liquefaction.
Liquefaction iswhenloose soil turnsintoliquid due to
shaking
5. What is a seismic gap?
It is an
stress is building
area along a fault with little recent activity meaning
6. Why is it possible to issue a tsunami warning but not provide a warning for an
earthquake?
Tsunamistravel through waterand can be detected
butearthquakesstart undergroundand are unpredictable
7. What earthquake predicting features do we have?
Scientist watch for small tremors groundmovement and
release gas
8.4 - Earth’s Layered Structures
1. List Earth’s three major layers and their chemical compositions.
Crest rock
MantleChotrook
Core Iron nickel
2. Earth can be divided into lithosphere, asthenosphere, lower mantle, and outer and inner
core because of composition. Describe the composition of each of these layers.
Lithosphere rigidrock Asthenosphere softrock LowerMantle solidrock Outer
core
liquidmetal InnerCore solidmetal
3. How did P waves and S waves help scientists establish boundaries of Earth’s layers?
P wavestravelthrough all layers butS waves stop at the outercore showing
it's liquid
4. List Earth’s layers based from Earth’s center to the surface.
Innercore
Outercore
cut
5. What evidence led scientists to conclude that earth’s outer core is liquid? Explain.
S waves can'tpass throughthe outer core proving it's liquid
6. Why are meteorites considered important clues to the composition of Earth’s interior?
Meteoriteshavesimilarmaterialsto Earth's core
7. Describe the difference in composition and age between oceanic and continental crust.
Oceanic crust is thinner
youngerand
denser Continentalcrust is
thicker older andlighter
8. Which layer of our earth is responsible for the earth’s magnetic field? Why?
The outer core createsEarth'smagneticfield because
it's made of movingliquid metal
