Arrange the events to describe how an earthquake happens. A The plates create great stresses in rocks near the edges of the plate. 1 B ? The intensity of the earthquake reduces with the distance from the epicenter. 2 C Large chunks of Earth called tectonic plates collide with each other. ? D The seismic waves created at the hypocenter spread out radially and cause shaking wherever they travel. 3 ?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To describe how an earthquake happens, the events can be arranged in the following order:
C: Large chunks of Earth called tectonic plates collide with each other.
A: The plates create great stresses in rocks near the edges of the plate.
D: The seismic waves created at the hypocenter spread out radially and cause shaking wherever they travel.
B: The intensity of the earthquake reduces with the distance from the epicenter.
Explanation:
An earthquake begins with the movement of tectonic plates. These plates are massive sections of Earth’s crust and upper mantle that constantly move. The movement of these plates is driven by forces such as mantle convection, slab pull, and ridge push. As plates move, they can either collide (convergent boundary), move apart (divergent boundary), or slide past one another (transform boundary). When two plates collide, tremendous pressure and stress are built up at the boundary where they meet.
This pressure causes rocks near the edges of the plates to bend or deform. Over time, this stress surpasses the strength of the rocks, leading to a sudden release of energy. This release of energy occurs in the form of seismic waves that radiate outward from the hypocenter (the point within the Earth where the earthquake originates). These seismic waves travel through the Earth’s layers and cause the ground to shake, which we feel as an earthquake.
The intensity of the earthquake is strongest at the epicenter, the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the hypocenter. As the seismic waves move farther from the epicenter, they lose energy, which is why the shaking decreases with distance. This is why areas near the epicenter experience the most intense shaking, while regions further away may only feel weaker tremors.
In conclusion, the process of an earthquake starts with the collision of tectonic plates, leading to the buildup of stress in rocks. When this stress is released, it produces seismic waves that cause shaking, with the intensity decreasing as the waves spread out from the epicenter
