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Quiz about Earthquake
Quiz about Earthquake

Earthquake! Trivia Quiz


Are you ready to shake, rattle and roll? Test your knowledge about earthquakes and tsunamis.

A multiple-choice quiz by chari1. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
chari1
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
109,836
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
6572
Last 3 plays: Kalibre (4/10), astir (4/10), Mugaboo (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Which of these is NOT a scale for measuring earthquakes? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What is the name for a minor quake that occurs before the main earthquake? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What do the letters USGS stand for? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The word "seismic" means earthquake, and most discussions of earthquake activity are likely to include this term in some form. For example: Seismologist - scientist who studies earthquakes. From what language did this word originate? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. When referring to earthquakes, what is a "fault"? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Approximately how deep is the San Andreas fault in California? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What does "Pangaea" refer to? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The word "Tsunami" comes from the Japanese words which mean? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which U.S state is statistically most likely to be hit by a tsunami? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In which year did a major tsunami strike Papua New Guinea resulting in massive loss of life? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Dec 19 2024 : Kalibre: 4/10
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Dec 15 2024 : Mugaboo: 10/10
Dec 15 2024 : gwendylyn14: 6/10
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Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which of these is NOT a scale for measuring earthquakes?

Answer: Anatolia Rift Scale

The best known scale, invented in 1906, is the purely quantitative Richter scale which measures earthquake intensity from 0 to 9. Before this time, scientists used the Rossi-Forel scale which ranked earthquakes from 1 to 10 and included some descriptive information. Lesser known is the Mercalli Intensity Scale which has 12 levels and describes the likely effects of the earthquke on lives and property.

Although very impressive sounding, there is no such thing as the Anatolia Rift Scale!
2. What is the name for a minor quake that occurs before the main earthquake?

Answer: foreshock

An aftershock of course occurs after the main event.
3. What do the letters USGS stand for?

Answer: United States Geological Survey

Formed in 1879, the USGS is now one of the world's most important organisations for earthquake research.
4. The word "seismic" means earthquake, and most discussions of earthquake activity are likely to include this term in some form. For example: Seismologist - scientist who studies earthquakes. From what language did this word originate?

Answer: Greek

The ancient Greeks were among the first to come up with accurate theories on earth movements.
5. When referring to earthquakes, what is a "fault"?

Answer: an existing weakness in the earth's crust

A fault is caused by two parts of the earth's crust moving against each other over a long period of time.
6. Approximately how deep is the San Andreas fault in California?

Answer: 15 kilometres

The San Andreas fault was the reason for the famous San Francisco earthquake in 1906.
7. What does "Pangaea" refer to?

Answer: a supercontinent proposed by Wegener

The name comes from the Greek words for 'whole' (pan) and 'earth' (Gaia). It is believed to have existed in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras before continental drift broke it apart into the continents as they exist now.
8. The word "Tsunami" comes from the Japanese words which mean?

Answer: Harbour Wave

We now use "tsunami" to mean a destructive wave usually caused by an earthquake under the ocean.
9. Which U.S state is statistically most likely to be hit by a tsunami?

Answer: Hawaii

The Pacific Tsunami Warning System has its headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii.
10. In which year did a major tsunami strike Papua New Guinea resulting in massive loss of life?

Answer: 1998

2,200 lives were lost as a result of this tsunami believed to be the most devastating of the twentieth century. The wave was caused by an earthquake ranking 7.1 on the Richter scale and reached 15 metres in height.
Source: Author chari1

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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