The Age of Earth Unit Test
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Question
How are earthquakes at continental plate boundaries different from earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges?(1 point)
Responses
They are shorter in duration.
They are shorter in duration.
They begin closer to Earth’s surface.
They begin closer to Earth’s surface.
They are longer in duration.
They are longer in duration.
They begin deeper in Earth’s crust.
They begin deeper in Earth's crust.
The correct answer is:
- Earthquakes at continental plate boundaries begin closer to Earth's surface.
To answer this question, we need to understand the characteristics of earthquakes at continental plate boundaries and mid-ocean ridges.
Earthquakes occur when there is a release of energy in the Earth's crust, causing the ground to shake.
At continental plate boundaries or convergent boundaries, where two continental plates collide or one continental plate collides with an oceanic plate, the earthquakes are typically different from those at mid-ocean ridges.
Earthquakes at continental plate boundaries are generally longer in duration compared to those at mid-ocean ridges. This is because the collision and compression of continental plates create more significant stresses, resulting in a prolonged release of energy.
Additionally, earthquakes at continental plate boundaries tend to begin deeper in the Earth's crust. The collision of continental plates results in deeper fault lines, causing earthquakes to originate from greater depths.
On the other hand, earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges are shorter in duration. Mid-ocean ridges are formed where two oceanic plates move apart, creating a divergent boundary. The earthquakes occurring at these ridges are usually associated with the movement of molten material (magma) beneath the Earth's surface. As a result, these earthquakes tend to be shorter-lived.
Therefore, the correct response to the question "How are earthquakes at continental plate boundaries different from earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges?" would be:
- They are longer in duration.
- They begin deeper in the Earth's crust.