Earthquake Vocabulary
Part 2
Crust
The outside layer of the earth; the
coolest and least dense layer of the
earth.
Mantle
The middle layer of the earth
between the crust and the core. It
makes up about 83% of the earth’s
interior.
Asthenosphere
The layer of the mantle that lies
directly below the lithosphere
(crust) and flows, like taffy.
Core
The earth’s innermost layers, consisting
of a liquid iron outer core and a solid
iron-nickel inner core.
Atmosphere
The layer of gasses which
surrounds the earth’s surface and
contains the clouds.
Hydrosphere
The part of the earth’s surface
covered by water.
Lithosphere
The cool, solid outer shell of the earth.
It consists of the crust and the rigid
uppermost part of the mantle and is
broken up into segments, or plates
Ring of Fire
A zone of intense earthquake and
volcanic activity that encircles the
Pacific Ocean basin; also called the
Circum –Pacific Belt.
Magnitude
A measure of the total amount of
energy released at the source of
the earthquake.
Intensity
A measure of the damage done
by an earthquake. Determined on
the basis of the earthquake’s effect
on people, structures, and the
natural environment.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
A zone of intense earthquake
and volcanic activity that runs
down the middle of the Atlantic
Ocean.
Mid-ocean ridge
A mountain-like landform that
develops when plates separate
and new ocean lithosphere forms.
Plate boundary
A place where pieces of the
broken lithosphere meet.
3 types of plate boundaries
Spreading
Colliding
Sliding
P-wave
A primary (compressional)
earthquake wave that travels
through the body of the earth; so
named because it is the first wave to
reach a seismograph station during an
earthquake.
S-wave
A secondary earthquake wave; so
named because it travels slower than
a primary wave and is the second
wave to reach the seismograph station
after an earthquake.