Earthquakes Pre Assessment NAME:___________________________________ GROUP # ________

1. Which type of earthquake wave is a compressional wave and is first to reach a location away
from the focus?
a. primary wave b. secondary wave c. surface (L) wave d. cyclic wave

2. Which type of earthquake wave creates the most damage to buildings?

a. primary waves b. secondary waves c. surface (L) waves d. breaking waves

3. Walking to school one day you feel the ground move in an up and down rolling motion. Which
type of earthquake waves are you experiencing?
a. primary waves b. secondary waves c. surface (L) waves d. breaking waves

Use this seismogram for an earthquake to answer the next two questions.

4. At which time in seconds did the primary

wave arrive at the seismometer?
a. 80
b. 240
c. 320
d. 480

5. At which time in seconds did the secondary

wave arrive at the seismometer?
a. 80
b. 240
c. 320
d. 480

6. The Richter Scale is a measure of the

a. severity of damage during an
earthquake.
b. arrival time of primary waves.
c. energy released during the earthquake.
d. people’s reaction during an earthquake.

7. Seismologists pinpoint the exact location of an earthquake by

a. measuring the sizes of earthquake waves.
b. interpreting seismograms from at least three stations.
c. looking for a fresh crack or break in rocks or streets.
d. surveying damage in the city nearest the earthquake.

8. Which is the name of the point within Earth where rupture first occurs to cause an earthquake?
a. origin b. epicenter c. focus d. none of these

9. Which is another name for a fracture in rock?

a. wave front b. fault c. focal point d. elastic front

10. A tsunami is a great sea wave produced by

a. a submarine earthquake or volcanic eruption. c. the pull of the Moon on the Earth.
b. the sinking of large icebergs in the ocean. d. the pull of the Sun on the Earth.
Earthquakes Pre Assessment NAME:___________________________________ GROUP # ________

PRE TEST POST TEST CORRECT ANSWER

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