An earthquake occurs at a convergent boundary. The earthquake has a high magnitude, and an observer reports the earthquake having low intensity. Which statement about the earthquake is correct?
A. The earthquake was caused by plates moving together. It did not release much energy, but the observer saw a lot of damage.
B. The earthquake was caused by plates moving together. It released a lot of energy, but the observer did not see much damage.
C. The earthquake was caused by plates moving apart. It did not release much energy, but the observer saw a lot of damage.
D. The earthquake was caused by plates moving apart. It released a lot of energy, but the observer did not see much damage.
Help Me
The earthquake was caused by plates moving together. It released a lot of energy,but the observer did not see much damage
So what is the answer 😃
Y’all are no help smh
word @Ava
To determine the correct statement about the earthquake, we need to understand the definitions of magnitude and intensity in the context of seismology.
Magnitude refers to the total amount of energy released by an earthquake at its source. It is measured using a logarithmic scale called the Richter scale or the Moment Magnitude scale. The higher the magnitude, the more energy is released by the earthquake.
Intensity, on the other hand, refers to the effects of an earthquake at a specific location. It is measured using various scales, such as the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, which assesses the level of shaking and the resulting damage and human perception.
In this scenario, we are told that the earthquake has a high magnitude but low intensity according to an observer. Since the earthquake occurs at a convergent boundary, we can eliminate options C and D, which suggest that the plates are moving apart.
Now, let's analyze the remaining options:
A. The earthquake was caused by plates moving together. It did not release much energy, but the observer saw a lot of damage.
B. The earthquake was caused by plates moving together. It released a lot of energy, but the observer did not see much damage.
Given that the earthquake has a high magnitude, option A is incorrect because it states that the earthquake did not release much energy. This contradicts the definition of magnitude.
Therefore, the correct statement is option B: The earthquake was caused by plates moving together. It released a lot of energy, but the observer did not see much damage.
To answer this question, we relied on our understanding of earthquake terminology and the relationship between magnitude and intensity.