Question 143·Medium·Command of Evidence
A student is studying patterns of small earthquakes (microearthquakes) near three fault zones in the United States. The student finds that in 2020, the average monthly number of microearthquakes recorded near ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the statement?
For graph-based Command of Evidence questions, treat each answer choice as a checklist of claims. Go to the exact year mentioned (here, 2020), read the relevant values, and confirm every part of the statement (change from the previous year and comparisons to other lines). Eliminate choices that get even one comparison or trend wrong.
Hints
Locate the 2020 points
Focus on the points above 2020 for all three lines, then note which one is highest, middle, and lowest.
Check the “increased from 2019” claim
For any option that mentions a change from 2019, compare the 2019 point to the 2020 point for that same zone.
Verify every comparison in an option
If an option makes two comparisons (for example, higher than one zone but lower than another), confirm both comparisons using the graph.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the 2020 value for Cascadia and compare to 2019
From the graph, Cascadia is at about 120 in 2019 and about 125 in 2020, so it increased from 2019 to 2020.
Compare Cascadia (2020) to the other zones (2020)
In 2020, Cascadia is about 125, New Madrid is about 65, and San Andreas is about 195. So Cascadia is greater than New Madrid and less than San Andreas.
Match these facts to the choice
The only option that states Cascadia increased from 2019 and is between New Madrid and San Andreas in 2020 is:
the Cascadia Subduction Zone increased from 2019 and, in 2020, recorded more microearthquakes per month than the New Madrid Seismic Zone but fewer than the San Andreas Fault.