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EarthQuakes_Test1
Natural Disasters 335V
56
Geology
Undergraduate 3
09/16/2013

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Cards

Term
Hazard
Definition
An Environment that could lead to a disaster if it effects people
Term
Disaster
Definition
a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life.
Term
Catastrophe
Definition
an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering.
Term
Cyclic Event
Definition

occur at regular intervals

yearly,monthly,daily

Term
Land Use Planning
Definition
restriction of development according to practical and ethical condsiderations, inlcuding the risk of natural hazards
Term
Mitigation
Definition
Changes in an environment to minimalize loss from a disaster
Term
Precursor Event
Definition

Events preceding major natural events and which may warn of the coming event

Ex: foreshocks, elevation changes, radon gas emissions, changes in ground water

Term
Recurrence Interval
Definition

The average number of years between events of a certain size in a location

also know as Return period

Term
Lithosphere
Definition
contains both crust and mantle
Term
Asthenosphere
Definition
contains mantle
Term
Convergent Boundary
Definition

A tectonic plate boundary along which two plates come together by either subduction or continent-continent collision

Where Reverse/Thrust Faults are

Term

 

Divergent Boundary

Definition

Spreading plate boundary such as mid-ocean ridge

where  Normal faults are

Term

Transform Plate Boundary

 

Definition

A fault boundary where two tectonic plates slide past one another

ex: San Adreas Fault

Term
Isostacy
Definition

Lower density crust floats in earths higher desity mantle

AKA: isostatic equalibrium

Term
Hot Spot Volcano
Definition
An isolated volcano, typically not on a lithospheric plate boundary, buy lying above a plume or  hot column of rock in earths mantle
Term
Plumes
Definition

1.) A dense rising cloud of ash from a erupting volcano

2.)  a upward-flaring zone of hot rock deep in earth's mantle

Term
Mid Ocean Ridge
Definition

A high-standing rift or spreading zone in an ocean

ex: the mid atlantic ridge or east pacific ridge

Term
Plate Tectonics
Definition
The theory that lithospheric plates move relative to one another, they can collide, pull apart, or slide ast one another. These movements can cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and build mountian ranges, the theory is supported by a wide range of data
Term
Rift Zones
Definition
An elongate spreading zone in earths lithosphere
Term
Seafloor Spreading
Definition
where seafloor spreads apart at a mid-ocean ridge during plate tectonic movement
Term
Subduction Zones
Definition
Convergent Boundary along which lithospheric plates come together and one decends beneath the other, often ocean floor descending beneath continent
Term
Trenches
Definition
An elongate depression at the decenting ocean floor at a subduction zonebetween two tectonic plates and most commonly at the edge of an active continental margin. Most are at the margins of the Pacific Oceans.
Term
Acceleration
Definition
The rate of increase in velocity. During an earthquake, the ground accelerates from being staionary to a maxium velocity before slowing and reversing its movement.
Term

Amplitude

 

Definition
The size of the back and forth motion of earthquake shaking on a seismograph
Term
Frequency
Definition
The Number of events ina  given time , such as the back-and-forth motions of an earthquake per second
Term
Period
Definition
The time between seismic waves, or time between the peaks recorded on a seismograph
Term
Wavelength
Definition
the distance between wave crest
Term
Blind Thrust
Definition
A thrust that does not reach Earths surface. It is not edvident at the surface
Term
Body Waves
Definition
A wave that travels through earths interior, P and S waves are body waves
Term
Creep
Definition

Surface layers of soil on a slope gradually move downslope more rapidly that surface layers

2.) Slow, more-or-less continuous movement on a fault

Term
Elastic Rebound Theory
Definition
the theory applied to most earthquakes in which movement on two sides of a fault leads to bending of the rocks untl they slip or release the beinding strain during an earthquake
Term
Epicenter
Definition
the point on the earths surface directly above the earthquake focus; surface location above initial rupture point on a fault.
Term
Hypocenter
Definition
is the position where the strain energy stored in the rock is first released, marking the point where the fault begins to rupture.
Term

Focus

 

Definition
Place where the fault first slipped
Term
Fault
Definition
factures with movement
Term
Liquefaction
Definition
In which soil goes from being solid/stable becomes almost liquid when shaking andthen becomes solid again when skaing stops
Term
Mercalli Intensity Scale
Definition
Scale based on how strongly people fell the shaking and the severity of the damage it causes
Term
Ritcher Magnitude Scale
Definition
the scale of earth quake magnitude; invented by Charles Ritcher
Term
Moment Magnitude
Definition

the magnitude of an earth quake based on its seismic moment; measure of total engergy expanded during an earthquake

depends on the rock strength, area of the rock broken, and the moment of offset across the fault

Term
Normal Fault
Definition

Move steeply on an inclineed surface

Occuron Divergent Boundaries

Term
Reverse/Thrust Fault
Definition

Move Rocks on the upperside of the fault up and over those below

Occur on Convergent boundaries

Term
Strike-Slip Fault
Definition
A fault (generally vertical) which has relative lateral movement of the two sides
Occurs on transform boundaries
Term
P Waves
Definition
Primary waves, occur first
Term
S Waves
Definition
Secondary Waves, Occur sencond
Term
Surface Waves
Definition
Seismic wave that travels along and near the earths surface.
Term
Seisomograms
Definition
the record of seismic waves from an earthquake or other ground motion as recorded on a seismograph
Term
Seismographs
Definition
records the shaking of an earthquake/ instrument used to detect and record seismic waves
Term
Stress/Strain
Definition
The Forces on a body. they can be compressional, extensional, or shear/ Change is size or shape of a body in response to imposed stress
Term
Surface Rupture Length
Definition
the surface length of a fault broken during an earthquake
Term
Displacement
Definition
The distance between an initial position and the position after the movement on a fault
Term
Base Isolation
Definition
A Mechanism to isolate a structure from earthquake shaking in the ground; often flexible pads between a building and the ground
Term
Foreshocks
Definition
Faults with small slips
Term
Migrating Earthquakes
Definition
earthquakes that occur, over time, in a sequential manner along a fault
Term
Paleoseismology
Definition
the study of prehistoric fault movements: examination of offset rock layers below ground surface
Term
Retrofitting
Definition
modifying existing buildings to minimize the damage during a strong earthquake
Term
Seismic Gaps
Definition
A section of an active fault that has not had a recent earthquake. Earthquakes elsewhere on the fault suggest that the gap may cause a future earthquake.
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