Question 1: What is an earthquake?

Answer: A sudden shaking of the Earth's surface caused by the release of energy along faults within the Earth's crust.

Question 2: Define 'tectonic plates'.

Answer: Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries, causing geological activity such as earthquakes.

Question 3: What is a focus in relation to earthquakes?

Answer: The point within the Earth where an earthquake originates.

Question 4: Explain what is meant by 'seismic waves'.

Answer: Energy waves that travel through the Earth's layers during an earthquake, causing ground shaking.

Question 5: Name two common locations where earthquakes frequently occur.

Answer: Along the Pacific Ring of Fire and at tectonic plate boundaries such as the Himalayas.

Question 1: Earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates at fault lines. The Pacific Plate's boundary with North America is particularly active, leading to frequent seismic activity in California. In contrast, the Himalayan region experiences earthquakes due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. These natural hazards can cause widespread destruction and loss of life, highlighting the importance of understanding their causes and management strategies.

Answer:

Question 1: What is the primary cause of earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault in California?

Answer: The movement of the Pacific Plate relative to the North American Plate along the fault line.

Question 2: Name the three main types of seismic waves generated during an earthquake.

Answer: P-waves, S-waves, surface waves

Question 3: Identify two effects of earthquakes on urban areas.

Answer: Building destruction and infrastructure damage.

Question 4: Which scale is commonly used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes?

Answer: Richter scale

Question 1: Based on the case study of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, identify two primary impacts on the local population.

Answer: Widespread destruction of buildings and infrastructure, and loss of thousands of lives.

Question 2: Describe the main reasons why Nepal is highly vulnerable to earthquakes.

Answer: Nepal is located along a major convergent plate boundary where the Indian Plate collides with the Eurasian Plate, causing intense seismic activity. The country's high population density and poor building standards increase vulnerability.

Question 3: Explain how the Nepal earthquake highlighted the importance of earthquake preparedness and early warning systems.

Answer: The earthquake demonstrated the need for better preparedness, resilient infrastructure, and early warning systems to reduce casualties and damage in future events.

Question 1: Analyse the main causes of earthquakes occurring along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Answer: Earthquakes along the Ring of Fire are caused by the movement and interaction of multiple tectonic plates at convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries. The Pacific Plate's movement relative to surrounding plates creates frequent fault slips, releasing energy as seismic waves, which result in earthquakes.

Question 2: Explain why shallow-focus earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deep-focus earthquakes.

Answer: Shallow-focus earthquakes occur closer to the Earth's surface, resulting in higher seismic intensity at ground level, thus causing more destruction and damage compared to deeper earthquakes.

Question 3: Describe the pattern of earthquake distribution in relation to tectonic plate boundaries.

Answer: Earthquakes predominantly occur along tectonic plate boundaries where stress is accumulated due to plate interactions, such as subduction zones, transform faults, and collision zones, resulting in frequent seismic activity.

Question 1: To what extent are current earthquake mitigation strategies effective in reducing damage and loss of life? Consider examples from different regions.

Answer: Current mitigation strategies, such as early warning systems, public education, and resilient infrastructure, have proven effective in reducing casualties, as seen in Japan and California. However, in less developed regions like Nepal, limited resources and poor enforcement reduce effectiveness. Overall, while technological and planning advances improve outcomes, their success depends on local implementation, infrastructure, and community awareness. Therefore, mitigation strategies are moderately effective but require continuous improvement and global cooperation to be universally successful.