Geology Midterm

A fault scarp is a visible feature created by the movement of the Earth's crust along a fault line, leading to the formation of a low cliff-like structure on the surface.

The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake's hypocenter, which is the actual location where the earthquake begins.

The focus refers to the specific location within the earth where the seismic activity of an earthquake originates, while the epicenter is the point on the earth's surface directly above the focus. The focus is not related to the earthquake's magnitude or the time of day it occurred.

P-wave is a seismic wave that travels through the interior of the Earth. It is distinct from ocean waves and surface waves caused by wind.

S-waves are seismic waves that are classified as body waves and travel through the interior of the Earth. Unlike other seismic waves, S-waves are transverse waves that move slower and can only propagate through solid materials.

A Love wave is actually a type of surface wave with unique characteristics.

Raleigh waves are seismic surface waves, not related to wireless communication, bicycles, or birds.

Seismometers and seismographs are specifically designed to measure and record seismic waves, allowing scientists to detect earthquakes and study their characteristics. While other equipment like barometers, thermometers, telescopes, microscopes, radars, and sonar systems may be used in different scientific disciplines, they are not typically used for earthquake detection.

Scientists use the difference in arrival times of P and S waves to calculate the distance from the earthquake, which helps determine its location.

The Mercalli Index and the moment magnitude scale are two different scales used to measure and describe earthquakes. While the Mercalli Index focuses on intensity and effects, the moment magnitude scale calculates the magnitude based on other factors.

The moment magnitude scale is logarithmic, so each 1 unit increase corresponds to a 10x increase in amplitude of shaking felt and approximately 30x more energy released. This exponential relationship is important for accurately assessing the impact of seismic events.

Seismic waves provide information about the types of rocks in the subsurface based on their speed and depth, allowing for the stratification of the earth to be understood. Analyzing the color of rocks in this context is not a relevant method. Magnetic resonance imaging is a different technology unrelated to seismic waves. Counting earthquakes does not directly provide information on rock types and stratification.

Tsunamis are primarily caused by seismic activity, specifically underwater earthquakes. They are not caused by volcanic eruptions, strong winds, storm surges, or melting polar ice caps.

Liquefaction is a geologic process related to earthquakes, not cloud formation or gas to liquid conversion.

In the context of geology, stress and strain are distinct concepts related to the response of rocks to external forces.

Washington State is at risk of experiencing various types of earthquakes due to its proximity to multiple fault lines and the Cascadia subduction zone. These earthquakes include shallow, deep, and subduction quakes, such as the Seattle fault, Nisqually quake, and Cascadia subduction zone quake.

Compressive stress is the type of stress that leads to shortening strain in rocks, commonly observed at convergent boundaries where tectonic plates collide and compress against each other.

Tensional (extensional) stress refers to forces pulling away from each other, causing stretching strain. It is uncommon in the crust and can lead to breaks if the pulling force is too fast. The incorrect answers provided describe different types of stress that do not align with tensional stress.

Shear stress involves forces acting in opposite directions parallel to each other, leading to shear strain. It is commonly seen in transform plate boundaries and actively moving faults.

Elastic behavior refers to the ability of a deformed body to return to its original shape once the stress is removed. It is a characteristic seen in many materials, including rocks up to their elastic limit before losing this behavior.

Brittle behavior refers to a material fracturing at stresses higher than the elastic limit, especially evident at or near the Earth's surface where pressure and temperature are low. It is the opposite of ductile behavior.

Ductile behavior involves the plastic bending of a material under stress without returning to its original shape. This phenomenon is common in high temperature and pressure environments like during regional metamorphism.

Folds in geology refer to bends or wavelike features in rocks caused by tectonic forces.

Faults in geology refer to fractures in bedrocks where there has been movement along the fracture plane. This movement can occur due to various geological processes such as tectonic plate movement, but faults themselves are specifically the fractures in the bedrock.

An anticline is an upward arching fold resembling an upside-down 'U', where the 'V' points in the same direction as the plunge of the fold.

Synclines are geological formations characterized by downward arching folds, forming a 'U' shape. The direction of their plunge can be determined by observing 'V's pointing away from the site of plunge. Anticlines, on the other hand, are upward arching folds and have 'V's pointing towards the site of plunge. Domes do not exhibit folding or plunging characteristics, and faults are fractures in the Earth's crust unrelated to folding.

In geology, DOME refers to rock layers that are oldest in the middle and dip away in all directions, forming a dome shaped structure. On the other hand, a BASIN is a depression or dip in the Earth's surface where the rock layers are youngest in the middle, forming a bowl shape.

In dance, 'open folds' typically refers to a movement where the performer's limbs dip gently with each limb dipping equally, creating a graceful and flowing motion.

Isoclinal folds are a geological feature where the limbs are parallel to each other, forming a 'ununun' shape, indicating intense compressive or shear stress.