Question

as the geology officer on an expedition to a newly discovered, earthlike planet, you must determine where to locate the first permanent settlement. this planet has volcanoes and appears to have a crust composed of moving plates. in order to avoid an earthquake zone, you consider avoiding a location with: a. cliffs made of limestone. b. a young mountain range along a continental coast. c. broad river deltas associated with large, low coastal plains. d. an old mountain range with no volcanoes.

Explanation:

• Option A: Limestone cliffs are not directly related to earthquake - prone zones. Earthquakes are mainly associated with plate - tectonic activity, not the type of rock (limestone in this case).
• Option B: Young mountain ranges along continental coasts are often formed at convergent plate boundaries. At convergent plate boundaries (where one plate is subducting under another), there is a lot of stress and movement in the Earth's crust, which makes these areas highly prone to earthquakes.
• Option C: Broad river deltas and large, low coastal plains are usually areas of sediment deposition. These are relatively stable in terms of plate - tectonic activity related to earthquakes. They are more affected by other geological processes like sedimentation rather than being in an earthquake - prone zone.
• Option D: Old mountain ranges with no volcanoes are likely to be in a more stable tectonic setting. Volcanoes are often associated with plate - boundary activity (e.g., divergent or convergent boundaries), and the absence of volcanoes in an old mountain range suggests less recent tectonic activity that causes earthquakes.

Answer:

B. a young mountain range along a continental coast.