Waves from Earthquakes

Question 1

What do Earthquakes produce?

Answer 1

Wave motions on the surface and inside the earth

Question 2

What can these waves be detected by?

Answer 2

Instruments located on the Earth’s surface, such as a seismograph

Question 3

What are the two types of waves generated by earthquakes?

Answer 3

Primary waves (P-waves)
Secondary waves (S-waves)

Question 4

Describe P-waves

Answer 4

They travel faster than S-waves
Can travel through both liquids and solids
Can travel through the liquid region of the outer core of the Earth

Question 5

Describe S-waves

Answer 5

Can only travel through solids

Can’t travel through the liquid region of the outer core of the Earth

Question 6

What are P-waves?

Answer 6

Longitudinal waves

Question 7

What are S-waves?

Answer 7

Transverse waves

Question 8

When do P-waves and S-waves travel at different speeds?

Answer 8

In rocks of different density. If the rock has a high density, the waves travel faster

Question 9

What do boundaries between the different types of rock lead to?

Answer 9

Changes in speed of P-waves and S-waves

Question 10

What does this cause?

Answer 10

Refraction or reflection

Question 11

What can measurements taken from seismographs be used as?

Answer 11

Evidence about the structure of the Earth