Earthquake
Most earthquakes result from sudden slipping along faults in Earth's crust or upper mantle. This topic is part of Geology within Science & Nature. This page currently draws on 20 supporting questions, with answers and bonus facts available below.
Earthquake trivia questions
Earthquakes are caused by sudden movement within what outer part of Earth?
Answer: Crust
Bonus fact: Most earthquakes result from sudden slipping along faults in Earth's crust or upper mantle.
What instrument records ground motion from earthquakes?
Answer: Seismograph
Bonus fact: Seismographs record seismic waves traveling through the ground.
Which seismic waves travel fastest through Earth and arrive first at a recording station?
Answer: P waves
Bonus fact: Primary waves, or P waves, are compressional waves and travel faster than other seismic waves.
An earthquake, hurricane, or flood that causes severe damage can be called what?
Answer: Disaster
Bonus fact: Disasters are serious disruptions that cause widespread human, economic, or environmental losses.
The largest earthquake in an earthquake sequence is commonly called the what?
Answer: Mainshock
Bonus fact: Aftershocks follow the mainshock.
An earthquake's epicenter is the point on Earth's surface directly above what?
Answer: Focus
Bonus fact: The focus is the underground origin point.
What is another term for an earthquake's underground focus?
Answer: Hypocenter
Bonus fact: Hypocenter and focus refer to the subsurface starting point.
Earthquake magnitude measures what?
Answer: Size of an earthquake
Bonus fact: Magnitude reflects energy released.
What is the point below Earth’s surface where an earthquake rupture begins called?
Answer: Hypocenter
Bonus fact: The hypocenter is sometimes called the earthquake’s focus.
What is the point on Earth’s surface directly above an earthquake’s hypocenter called?
Answer: Epicenter
Bonus fact: USGS explains that three seismograph stations can be used to triangulate an earthquake epicenter.
For an undersea earthquake to be especially capable of generating a tsunami, it must produce substantial movement in which direction at the seafloor?
Answer: Vertical displacement
Bonus fact: Shallow marine thrust earthquakes are much more likely to generate tsunamis than typical strike-slip earthquakes.
What engineering achievement did the exposition celebrate?
Answer: Opening of the Panama Canal
Bonus fact: It also showcased San Francisco's recovery from the 1906 earthquake.