Free ASBOG Geologic Hazards Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: a measurement of a slope's stability in which the driving and resisting forces are contrasted. The slope will fail if the driving force is greater than the resisting force or equal to it.
- Factor of Safety (Correct answer)
- Shear Strength
- Intensity
- Lateral Spread
Correct answer: Factor of Safety
The Factor of Safety (FS) is a quantitative measure of slope stability, calculated as the ratio of resisting forces to driving forces. A slope is considered stable if FS > 1, and unstable (likely to fail) if FS < 1 or equal to 1. The question's description directly aligns with this definition, where failure occurs when driving forces overcome or equal resisting forces.
Question 2: a way to gauge an earthquake's power or the strain energy it releases. Richter (also known as local), body wave, surface, and moment magnitude are the four most prevalent forms.
- Epicenter
- Tsunami
- Magnitude (Correct answer)
- Intensity
Correct answer: Magnitude
The question describes a measure of an earthquake's 'power or the strain energy it releases,' and lists various scales like Richter and moment magnitude. This directly defines earthquake magnitude, which quantifies the energy released at the earthquake's source. Intensity, in contrast, measures the effects at a specific location.
Question 3: the unequal lowering of various structural components, which frequently causes damage to the structure
- Differential Settlement (Correct answer)
- Magnitude
- Soil Creep
- Uniform Settlement
Correct answer: Differential Settlement
Differential settlement refers to the uneven sinking or lowering of different parts of a structure's foundation. This unequal movement creates stress within the building's frame, often leading to cracks, structural damage, and instability. Uniform settlement, conversely, would be an even sinking across the entire structure, which is generally less damaging.
Question 4: a way to gauge an earthquake's effects at a specific location. Damage to human structures, earth disturbances, and animal reactions are all outcomes that have been seen.
- Intensity (Correct answer)
- Rigidity
- Magnitude
- Epicenter
Correct answer: Intensity
Earthquake intensity measures the observed effects of an earthquake at a particular location, including the degree of damage to buildings, ground deformation, and how people and animals perceive the shaking. Unlike magnitude, which quantifies the energy released at the source, intensity varies with distance from the epicenter and local geological conditions.
Question 5: point just above the focal point on the surface of the Earth
- Tsunami
- Intensity
- Magnitude
- Epicenter (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Epicenter
The epicenter is defined as the point on the Earth's surface directly above the hypocenter (or focus), which is the actual point within the Earth where an earthquake originates. This makes the epicenter the location on the surface closest to the earthquake's source, where seismic waves first reach the surface.
Question 6: a 1 to 9 second-long, essentially constant motion in the Earth that is unconnected to earthquakes
- Seiche
- Intensity
- Magnitude
- Microseism (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Microseism
Microseisms are continuous, faint ground tremors that are not caused by earthquakes but rather by natural phenomena like ocean waves interacting with the seafloor or atmospheric disturbances. They typically have periods ranging from a few seconds to tens of seconds, aligning with the '1 to 9 second-long' description and are unconnected to seismic events.
Question 7: the process through which wet soils collapse (also known as hydroconsolidation)
- Liquefaction
- Settlement
- Hydrocompaction (Correct answer)
- Shrinkage
Correct answer: Hydrocompaction
Hydrocompaction, also known as hydroconsolidation, is the process where dry, collapsible soils (often loess or poorly compacted fills) rapidly compact and settle when wetted. This collapse occurs due to the loss of capillary tension and interparticle bonds, leading to significant ground subsidence. Liquefaction, while also involving wet soils, describes a loss of shear strength in saturated granular soils during seismic shaking.
Free ASBOG Geologic Hazards Questions and Answers 1
a measurement of a slope's stability in which the driving and resisting forces are contrasted.
The slope will fail if the driving force is greater than the resisting force or equal to it.