To study centuries-old earthquakes and the geologic faults that caused them, seismologists usually dig trenches along visible fault lines, looking for sediments that show evidence of having shifted. βββ
Intro topic Β·Methods for studying causes of past earthquakes
Start by looking for buried sediments that shifted during a possible earthquake
Explain method Β·Use carbon 14 to back-date when material shifted (i.e., when possible earthquake occurred)
Carbon 14 is a radioactive form of carbon that decays (i.e., turns into a different form of carbon) at a known rate, so the amount of carbon 14 left in something can tell us how old that thing is
Explain new method Β·Use lichen growth to back-date rockfalls in mountain ranges
Lichens begin growing on rocks after an earthquake causes rockfalls; because they grow at a known rate, the size of a lichen patch on a rock can tell us when that rock first fell
Carbon 14 dating is less accurate because it can be hard to know how much carbon 14 the material started with (just knowing the rate of carbon 14 decay on its own can't tell us how old that material is)
Limitations of lichenometry Β·Limited time period, complications related to site selection
Passage Style
Single position
2.
The passage provides information that ββββ βββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ
Question Type
Stated
We canβt predict the correct answer just based on the question stem, so we should rely on process of elimination.
a
How do scientists βββββββ ββββββ ββββββ βββββ βββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββ ββββββββββ
Not answered. We have no information regarding how scientists measure lichen growth rates.
b
How do scientists βββββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββββββββββ
Not answered. We have no information regarding how scientists determine the intensity of radiation.
c
What are some ββ βββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββ ββββ ββ β ββββ βββββ ββββ ββββ ββββββ
Answered.
d
What is the βββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ
Not answered. We have no information on the date of the earliest earthquake lichenometry was used to identify.
e
What are some ββββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββββ βββββ ββββ βββββ βββ ββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββββββββββ
Not answered. We have no information on application of the techniques involved in radiocarbon dating other than for earthquakes.
Difficulty
78% of people who answer get this correct
This is a moderately difficult question.
It is slightly harder than the average question in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%138
148
75%159
Analysis
Stated
Science
Single position
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
9%
156
b
2%
155
c
78%
165
d
7%
156
e
3%
158
Question history
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