Earthquakes And Volcanoes Quiz

Earthquakes are caused when the Earth's tectonic plates, which are large pieces of the Earth's crust, rub against each other. This rubbing can cause a release of energy, resulting in seismic waves that shake the ground. Mountains collapsing or heavy storms are not direct causes of earthquakes. While collapsing mountains can sometimes be associated with earthquakes, they are not the primary cause. Similarly, heavy storms can cause other natural disasters like floods or landslides, but they do not directly cause earthquakes.

Molten rock is called magma. Magma is the term used to describe molten rock that is found beneath the Earth's surface. It is formed when solid rock melts due to high temperatures and pressure. Magma is typically composed of a mixture of molten minerals, gases, and other materials. It is the precursor to volcanic eruptions and can eventually cool and solidify to form igneous rocks. Sediment refers to the accumulation of small particles, such as sand and silt, while ash is the fine particles that are ejected during volcanic eruptions.

The Richter scale is a measurement scale used to quantify the intensity or magnitude of an earthquake. It was developed by Charles F. Richter in 1935 and is based on the amplitude of seismic waves recorded by seismographs. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, with each whole number increase representing a tenfold increase in the amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy released. Therefore, the correct answer is "A device that measures the intensity of an earthquake."

The statement "Volcanoes only erupt after an earthquake" is false. Volcanic eruptions can occur independently of earthquakes. While it is true that earthquakes can sometimes trigger volcanic eruptions, volcanic activity can also happen without any seismic activity. Volcanoes can erupt due to various factors such as pressure build-up within the magma chamber, gas emissions, or changes in the composition of the magma. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that volcanoes only erupt after an earthquake.

An extinct volcano is a volcano that is no longer active and is unlikely to erupt again in the future. This term is used to describe a volcano that has not erupted for thousands of years and shows no signs of potential volcanic activity. The term "extinct" indicates that the volcano has completely ceased its volcanic activity and is considered to be permanently inactive.

The statement is false because the Richter scale is a logarithmic scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. It has no upper limit, meaning that it can go above 9. In fact, there have been several earthquakes in history that have registered above 9 on the Richter scale, such as the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile, which had a magnitude of 9.5.

An earthquake is only noticeable by instruments up to a magnitude of 3 on the Richter scale. The Richter scale measures the energy released by an earthquake, and a magnitude of 3 is considered a minor earthquake. Magnitudes of 4 and 5 are considered moderate and strong earthquakes, respectively, and can be felt by people. However, earthquakes with magnitudes below 3 are usually only detected by seismographs and are not felt by humans.