GLY 1880 EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2025/2026
About how thick is Earth's mantle (pick closest value)? - ANS About 3000 km thick
Mitigation is best described as - ANS taking proactive steps to lessen the impact of a disaster
on a community
The four stages of disaster management are - ANS mitigation, preparation, response, and
recovery
The rapid rise in global population, mostly crowded into increasingly large population centers,
set the stage for even more destructive disasters. World population is growing exponentially, at
a rate of about 1.2% per year. Using the estimator formula for doubling time found in your book,
how often does the world population double? - ANS roughly every 60 years
The lithosphere, which is the outermost layer of the earth, averages out to be roughly _ km
thick? - ANS 100
T or F: Continental crust is much thicker than oceanic crust? - ANS true
1 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,We use the term "ductile" to describe the layer of earth called the mantle. What does ductile
mean? - ANS capable of deforming rather than breaking when stress is applied.
Chains of volcanos, such as the Hawaiian islands, suggest that plates move over a persistent
magma source. If plates were not moving, what would be expected to form on the surface of a
magma source? - ANS a very large volcano with an incredibly long period of activity
In California, the city of LA does not sit on the same tectonic plate as SF. If current rate of plate
motion continues, how long will it take for LA to move to a position further north than SF? -
ANS 10 million years
Earthquakes happen at ocean trenches (convergent boundaries) and ocean ridges (divergent
boundaries). But earthquakes at ocean ridges are much more _ than those at ocean trenches. -
ANS shallow - closer to the surface
Which of the following statements is true about the location of earthquakes and volcanos
worldwide? - ANS most earthquakes and volcanos are located along plate boundaries
If the hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall, the fault is_ - ANS normal
The __ is located on the surface directly above the __ of an earthquake - ANS epicenter;
focus
Which of the following is part of elastic rebound theory? - ANS In between earthquakes,
strain is stored by elastic strain of rocks
The most damaging shaking during earthquakes generally results from: - ANS surface waves
2 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, The "shadow" zone occurs because S waves won't pass through the __ - ANS outer core, they
cannot pass through liquid
To locate the epicenter of an earthquake, at least __ locations with seismometers is needed -
ANS 3
An earthquake with a magnitude of 8 will be __ times larger than an earthquake with a
magnitude of 6 and will release __ more energy - ANS 100; 1024. Each order of magnitude is
10x larger and releases 32x more energy
Which of the following is most important in determining the seismic hazard to buildings -
ANS the acceleration caused by the earthquake at a particular location
The collapse of a freeway overpass during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake illustrated: -
ANS the effects of amplification of seismic waves in unconsolidated sediments
In areas known to have earthquakes, why haven't all buildings been seismically retrofitted? -
ANS seismic retrofits can be expensive
Which of the following is true of P waves? - ANS All are correct:
-They move by compressing and expanding the material they travel through
-They are the fastest seismic wave
-They can move through rock, liquid and glass
The most damaging shaking during earthquakes generally results from: - ANS surface waves
Base isolation refers to: - ANS preventing movement from being transmitted from the ground
to the building
3 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2025/2026
About how thick is Earth's mantle (pick closest value)? - ANS About 3000 km thick
Mitigation is best described as - ANS taking proactive steps to lessen the impact of a disaster
on a community
The four stages of disaster management are - ANS mitigation, preparation, response, and
recovery
The rapid rise in global population, mostly crowded into increasingly large population centers,
set the stage for even more destructive disasters. World population is growing exponentially, at
a rate of about 1.2% per year. Using the estimator formula for doubling time found in your book,
how often does the world population double? - ANS roughly every 60 years
The lithosphere, which is the outermost layer of the earth, averages out to be roughly _ km
thick? - ANS 100
T or F: Continental crust is much thicker than oceanic crust? - ANS true
1 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,We use the term "ductile" to describe the layer of earth called the mantle. What does ductile
mean? - ANS capable of deforming rather than breaking when stress is applied.
Chains of volcanos, such as the Hawaiian islands, suggest that plates move over a persistent
magma source. If plates were not moving, what would be expected to form on the surface of a
magma source? - ANS a very large volcano with an incredibly long period of activity
In California, the city of LA does not sit on the same tectonic plate as SF. If current rate of plate
motion continues, how long will it take for LA to move to a position further north than SF? -
ANS 10 million years
Earthquakes happen at ocean trenches (convergent boundaries) and ocean ridges (divergent
boundaries). But earthquakes at ocean ridges are much more _ than those at ocean trenches. -
ANS shallow - closer to the surface
Which of the following statements is true about the location of earthquakes and volcanos
worldwide? - ANS most earthquakes and volcanos are located along plate boundaries
If the hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall, the fault is_ - ANS normal
The __ is located on the surface directly above the __ of an earthquake - ANS epicenter;
focus
Which of the following is part of elastic rebound theory? - ANS In between earthquakes,
strain is stored by elastic strain of rocks
The most damaging shaking during earthquakes generally results from: - ANS surface waves
2 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, The "shadow" zone occurs because S waves won't pass through the __ - ANS outer core, they
cannot pass through liquid
To locate the epicenter of an earthquake, at least __ locations with seismometers is needed -
ANS 3
An earthquake with a magnitude of 8 will be __ times larger than an earthquake with a
magnitude of 6 and will release __ more energy - ANS 100; 1024. Each order of magnitude is
10x larger and releases 32x more energy
Which of the following is most important in determining the seismic hazard to buildings -
ANS the acceleration caused by the earthquake at a particular location
The collapse of a freeway overpass during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake illustrated: -
ANS the effects of amplification of seismic waves in unconsolidated sediments
In areas known to have earthquakes, why haven't all buildings been seismically retrofitted? -
ANS seismic retrofits can be expensive
Which of the following is true of P waves? - ANS All are correct:
-They move by compressing and expanding the material they travel through
-They are the fastest seismic wave
-They can move through rock, liquid and glass
The most damaging shaking during earthquakes generally results from: - ANS surface waves
Base isolation refers to: - ANS preventing movement from being transmitted from the ground
to the building
3 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
