Elevation changes are listed as an earthquake hazard related to ground deformation.

Elevation changes are listed as an earthquake hazard related to ground deformation.

• A. Ground shaking
• B. Elevation changes
• C. Liquefaction
• D. Tsunami

Answer: (B)

Elevation changes refer to permanent vertical shifts of the land surface caused by fault movement and crustal deformation during an earthquake. This kind of ground deformation is a direct change to the terrain itself, not the momentary shaking or the responses of soils. When the ground uplifts or subsides, buildings, roads, and drainage can be permanently altered, making elevation change a clear example of how earthquakes deform the ground. Ground shaking describes the rapid movement during the quake, which is a different hazard; liquefaction is the loss of strength in water-saturated soils during shaking; and tsunamis are waves driven by displacement of the sea floor, which is related to deformation but not a change in land surface elevation at the earthquake site. So elevation changes best match the concept of ground deformation as an earthquake hazard.

Elevation changes refer to permanent vertical shifts of the land surface caused by fault movement and crustal deformation during an earthquake. This kind of ground deformation is a direct change to the terrain itself, not the momentary shaking or the responses of soils. When the ground uplifts or subsides, buildings, roads, and drainage can be permanently altered, making elevation change a clear example of how earthquakes deform the ground. Ground shaking describes the rapid movement during the quake, which is a different hazard; liquefaction is the loss of strength in water-saturated soils during shaking; and tsunamis are waves driven by displacement of the sea floor, which is related to deformation but not a change in land surface elevation at the earthquake site. So elevation changes best match the concept of ground deformation as an earthquake hazard.