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Subjects · Leaving Cert Geography

Leaving Cert Geography: Earthquakes

How often Earthquakes comes up on the Geography papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 8 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

OL Asked on 8 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

June 2028 is the first exam on the new Geography course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Earthquakes, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Earthquakes.

(a)Point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates?
  1. The epicentre
  2. The focus
  3. The fault line
(b)Zone around the Pacific Ocean with most of the world's earthquakes and volcanoes?
  1. The Great Rift Valley
  2. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  3. The Pacific Ring of Fire
(c)Instrument used to record earthquake waves?
  1. A seismograph
  2. An anemometer
  3. A barometer
Show the answers

(a) The focus

(b) The Pacific Ring of Fire

(c) A seismograph

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Earthquakes.

Higher Level

Asked on 8 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026SQ5, Q1B
2025Q2A
2024SQ5, Q3C
2023Q2A, Q3B
2022Not asked
2021Q1C
2019Q2A
2018Not asked
2017Q2C, Q3C
2016Q2A

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Earthquakes questions

Earthquakes, 2 marks

Crack in the crust along which the rocks on either side have moved?

  1. A joint
  2. A dyke
  3. A fault
Show the answer

A fault

Stress builds up along a fault until the rocks slip suddenly, and that release of energy is an earthquake.

Earthquakes, 3 marks

What causes most earthquakes?

  1. Waves pounding against sea cliffs
  2. Rocks slipping suddenly along a fault
  3. Magma cooling slowly underground
Show the answer

Rocks slipping suddenly along a fault

Moving plates lock together, stress builds up over years, and the rocks finally snap past each other, sending out seismic waves.

Earthquakes, 2 marks

European country where the African plate pushing north causes frequent earthquakes, as at L'Aquila in 2009?

  1. Italy
  2. Norway
  3. Ireland
Show the answer

Italy

Italy lies where the African and Eurasian plates converge, so it has both earthquakes and active volcanoes.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 8 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q1C
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023Q3A
2022SQ1
2021Q3B
2019Q2A
2018SQ2
2017Q3B
2016Q3A

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Earthquakes questions

Earthquakes, 2 marks

Point on the Earth's surface directly above where an earthquake starts?

  1. The focus
  2. The fault
  3. The epicentre
Show the answer

The epicentre

The epicentre is the surface point above the focus, and shaking is usually strongest there because it is closest to the source.

Earthquakes, 2 marks

Scale used to measure the strength of an earthquake?

  1. The Celsius scale
  2. The Richter scale
  3. The Beaufort scale
Show the answer

The Richter scale

The Richter scale measures the energy released, and each step up the scale stands for a roughly tenfold increase in the shaking. Seismologists now use the moment magnitude scale for large earthquakes.

Earthquakes, 2 marks

Giant sea wave that can be set off by an undersea earthquake?

  1. A tsunami
  2. A tide
  3. A sea breeze
Show the answer

A tsunami

The sea floor jolts upward and displaces a huge volume of water, which travels fast across the ocean and piles up high in shallow water.

Other Geography topics

All of Leaving Cert Geography