Earthquakes Flashcards
seismograph
an instrument that records earthquakes
seismogram
recording of earthquake activity
primary wave
first wave of energy
COMPRESSION-LONGITUDE WAVE
secondary wave
second wave of energy
TRANSVERSE-SIDE TO SIDE
liquefaction
process in which wet sediment behaves like a liquid
epicenter
point of earth’s surface directly above the focus
focus (hypocenter)
point in earth’s interior where the energy release occurs
magnitude
measure of the amount of energy released
tsunami
water wave created by underwater land motion
fault
boundary line
amplitude
the distance above or below a midline
frequency
the distance between crests or troughs
crest
top of wave
trough
bottom of wave
intensity
amount of damage done
Richter Scale
rating system for magnitude
Mercalli Scale
rating system for intensity
is s wave faster or slower
slower
is p wave faster or slower
faster
is s wave more or less destructive
more
is p wave more or less destructive
less
each mark on a seismogram represents…
minutes. they’re called minute marks.
what kind of damage can earthquakes do
- raise/lower lands
- cause buildings to flatten (pancake)
what causes earthquakes?
large and sudden releases of energy