Earthquakes Quiz

The epicenter is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above where an earthquake originates underground, known as the focus or hypocenter.

A seismograph records the seismic waves generated by earthquakes and helps in determining their magnitude.

The Richter scale quantifies the amount of energy released during an earthquake and is logarithmic in nature.

Most earthquakes are caused by the sudden movement of tectonic plates along faults in the Earth's crust.

Transform boundaries, where tectonic plates slide past each other, are highly prone to earthquakes.

P-waves (Primary waves) travel the fastest and are the first to be detected during an earthquake.

The Ring of Fire is a seismically active zone encircling the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Liquefaction occurs when saturated soil loses strength during intense shaking, making it behave like a liquid.

The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale measures the intensity of an earthquake, meaning the observed effects and damage it causes at specific locations, rather than its overall energy or magnitude.

Each whole number increase on the Richter scale represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude.