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Chapter 17—Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Use your book, pages 567-575 to answer the following questions

  1. What is an Earthquake?
  2. Describe what you might feel if you were to feel an Earthquake.
  3. What causes Earthquakes?
  4. What areas on our Earth are more likely to experience Earthquakes? WHY?
  5. What is a seismic wave? Why are they released during an Earthquake?
  6. How is a focus different than an epicenter?
  7. What are the three types of seismic waves?
  8. Why do P waves travel faster than S waves?
  9. Which type of wave causes the most destruction? Why do you think this is true?
  10. What are some steps Earthquake prone areas have taken to help prevent destruction by Earthquakes?
  11. How does a seismograph work?
  12. What is a record of seismic activity called?
  13. Why are P waves the 1st to be recorded at a seismograph station?
  14. Label the following the diagram
  15. How do scientists calculate the epicenter of an Earthquake?
  16. Why are readings from 3 seismograph stations needed to find an epicenter?
  17. Why are the different velocities of the waves significant to the Earth and its interior? How so?
  18. What is the Richter scale? Describe it.
  19. What are some differences between a magnitude 5 and 7 Earthquake?
  20. Does the Richter scale help predict Earthquakes? Why?
  21. What are some reasons for similar magnitude Earthquakes causing vastly different amounts of damage?
  22. What is a volcano?
  23. What causes volcanoes?
  24. What are hot spot volcanoes? How are these different than plate boundary formed volcanoes?
  25. What does it mean that a “trail” forms from hot spot volcanoes? Where can this be seen on Earth?
  26. How has the Mid-Atlantic ridge formed?
  27. How is Iceland affected by volcanoes?
  28. What is a seamount?
  29. Explain “The type of eruption determines the volcano type.” (without using the word “determines”)
  30. Compare and contrast shield, composite and cinder cone volcanoes.
  31. What type of “stuff” is released when a volcano erupts?
  32. How do you think water plays a role in a volcanic eruption?
  33. Compare and contrast convergent boundary and divergent boundary volcanoes.
  34. Describe the ring of fire. Where is it geographically located on Earth?
  35. What is a vent? How is it different than a volcano?
  36. How are magma and lava the same, but different?
  37. Why would Iceland be a good candidate for the use of geothermic power sources?