What Is San Andreas Fault By Sandra S. Schulz And Robert E. Wallace Quiz

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1. The San Andreas fault in California is a ___________.

Explanation

The San Andreas fault is a type of strike-slip fault where two blocks of the Earth's crust move horizontally in opposite directions.

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About This Quiz
Plate Tectonics Quizzes & Trivia

Explore the dynamics of the San Andreas Fault with this focused assessment. Understand geological features, tectonic movements, and their implications on seismic activities. Ideal for learners interested in... see moreearth sciences and geological phenomena. see less

2. Why does continental crust extend farther down into the mantle than oceanic crust?

Explanation

The thickness of continental crust allows it to extend farther down into the mantle compared to the thinner oceanic crust, enabling it to interact with the mantle at greater depths.

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3. How does thermal convection movement in the upper mantle greatly influence the Earth's surface features?

Explanation

Thermal convection movement in the upper mantle plays a significant role in shaping the Earth's surface features by influencing the movement of tectonic plates and creating landforms through processes such as mountain building and ocean basin formation.

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4. Seismic waves are classified as body waves and surface waves. An example of a body wave is a:

Explanation

Body waves are seismic waves that travel through the Earth's interior. P-waves, or primary waves, are one of the two main types of body waves along with S-waves. Love waves and Rayleigh waves, on the other hand, are types of surface waves that travel along the Earth's surface.

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5. What is isostasy?
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6. According to plate tectonic theory, the San Andreas fault is a.

Explanation

The San Andreas fault is a transform fault where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.

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7. How did Alfred Wegener support his theory of continental drift?

Explanation

Alfred Wegener supported his theory of continental drift by identifying similarities in rocks, rock structures, and plant and animal fossils between Africa and South America, providing evidence for the movement of continents over time.

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8. What does the Richter scale measure?

Explanation

The Richter scale is a numerical scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes, not their depth, intensity, or duration.

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9. Which layer of the earth exhibits plastic-like behavior?

Explanation

The mantle is a layer of the Earth between the crust and the core that exhibits plastic-like behavior due to high temperatures and pressures. The crust is the outermost layer, while the core and inner core are composed of solid iron and nickel.

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10. Which seismic wave is the fastest?

Explanation

Primary waves (P-waves) are the fastest seismic waves and are the first to arrive at a seismograph station during an earthquake. Secondary waves (S-waves), surface waves, and Love waves are also types of seismic waves but are slower than primary waves.

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11. When you stretch a rubber band, you are applying

Explanation

When a rubber band is stretched, it experiences tensile stress, which is a type of stress that occurs when a material is pulled or stretched.

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12. What is the mantle composed of?

Explanation

The mantle is made up of iron-rich silicate rocks, not granite rocks which are found in the Earth's crust. It is also not made up of solid gold or carbon dioxide crystals.

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13. Convergent boundaries are areas of?

Explanation

Convergent boundaries occur when tectonic plates collide, resulting in plate collision. Continental drift refers to the movement of continents over time, subduction is the process of one tectonic plate sliding beneath another, and fault lines are areas where tectonic plates meet and can cause earthquakes.

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14. Continental crust is very buoyant compared with the oceanic crust because the continental crust is:

Explanation

The buoyancy of continental crust is due to its composition of granitic rocks, which are less dense than the basaltic rocks that make up oceanic crust. This difference in composition leads to continental crust being more buoyant and 'floating' higher on the mantle.

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15. Why is the outer core liquid?

Explanation

The outer core is liquid due to the reduced weight of the material at that depth, leading to less pressure compared to the solid inner core. This decrease in pressure allows the outer core to exist in a liquid state.

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16. What does the Mercalli scale measure in an earthquake?

Explanation

The Mercalli scale measures the intensity, effects, and damage of an earthquake, while the magnitude refers to the energy released at the source, the depth is the distance below the Earth’s surface where the earthquake occurs, and the epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake source.

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17. Where do spreading centers occur?

Explanation

Spreading centers are areas where tectonic plates are moving apart from each other, typically occurring along mid-ocean ridges where new oceanic crust is formed.

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18. Earth's internal layers were discovered by studying...

Explanation

Seismic waves have been essential in helping scientists study the internal layers of the Earth due to their ability to travel through different materials at different speeds. This has allowed researchers to determine the composition and structure of the Earth's layers.

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19. What is the significance of the outer core in relation to Earth's magnetic field?

Explanation

The outer core is a liquid layer composed primarily of iron and nickel that flows fast enough to generate Earth's magnetic field through a process known as the dynamo effect.

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20. What is the likely composition of the Earth's core?

Explanation

The Earth's core is most likely composed of an iron-nickel alloy based on scientific studies and evidence.

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21. What factor does the velocity of a seismic wave depend on?

Explanation

The correct answer is the type of material it travels through, as seismic waves travel at different speeds through different materials.

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22. Divergent boundaries are areas of what process?

Explanation

Divergent boundaries are areas where tectonic plates move away from each other, leading to the formation of new crust through seafloor spreading. This process is different from tectonic plate collision, volcanic eruption, or seafloor spreading.

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23. What are transform faults primarily areas of?

Explanation

Transform faults primarily involve accommodation of plate movement, allowing two tectonic plates to slide past each other horizontally.

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24. What is the longest mountain chain in the world?

Explanation

The mid-ocean ridge is considered the longest mountain chain in the world as it spans over 65,000 kilometers and is located at the bottom of the oceans.

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25. An anticline is a fold in which the _____?

Explanation

In an anticline, the limbs bend downward forming an arch shape, as opposed to a syncline where the limbs bend upward.

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26. The occurrence of Earthquakes in the absence of seafloor spreading, oceanic trenches, or volcanic activity is a characteristic feature of?

Explanation

Transform fault boundaries are the only type of plate boundary that can occur without the presence of seafloor spreading, oceanic trenches, or volcanic activity. Earthquakes at transform fault boundaries are a result of the plates sliding past each other horizontally.

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27. Where is the earth's magnetic field generated?

Explanation

The earth's magnetic field is generated in the outer core due to the movement of molten iron and nickel. The inner core is solid, the crust is too thin to generate such a powerful magnetic field, and the mantle is composed of solid rock.

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28. Which of the following geological features cannot be produced by compression?

Explanation

Compression is a tectonic stress that typically results in the formation of anticlines, thrust faults, and strike-slip faults. Normal faults, on the other hand, are typically associated with extensional stress.

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29. Most of the state of Nevada is in the Basin and Range Province. What is the predominant type of faulting for this region?

Explanation

The Basin and Range Province is characterized by normal faulting, where the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall. This type of faulting is due to the extensional forces that have shaped the region over millions of years.

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30. Why can we say that earth's crust floats on the mantle?

Explanation

The correct answer explains the concept of isostasy, where the less dense crust 'floats' on the denser plastic solid mantle below.

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The San Andreas fault in California is a ___________.
Why does continental crust extend farther down into the mantle than...
How does thermal convection movement in the upper mantle greatly...
Seismic waves are classified as body waves and surface waves. An...
What is isostasy?
According to plate tectonic theory, the San Andreas fault is a.
How did Alfred Wegener support his theory of continental drift?
What does the Richter scale measure?
Which layer of the earth exhibits plastic-like behavior?
Which seismic wave is the fastest?
When you stretch a rubber band, you are applying
What is the mantle composed of?
Convergent boundaries are areas of?
Continental crust is very buoyant compared with the oceanic crust...
Why is the outer core liquid?
What does the Mercalli scale measure in an earthquake?
Where do spreading centers occur?
Earth's internal layers were discovered by studying...
What is the significance of the outer core in relation to Earth's...
What is the likely composition of the Earth's core?
What factor does the velocity of a seismic wave depend on?
Divergent boundaries are areas of what process?
What are transform faults primarily areas of?
What is the longest mountain chain in the world?
An anticline is a fold in which the _____?
The occurrence of Earthquakes in the absence of seafloor spreading,...
Where is the earth's magnetic field generated?
Which of the following geological features cannot be produced by...
Most of the state of Nevada is in the Basin and Range Province. What...
Why can we say that earth's crust floats on the mantle?
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