REVIEW FOR SEISMIC WAVES QUIZ
P-waves are compressional waves, they travel
faster than other seismic waves and can travel
through all mediums
S-waves are shear waves, they always arrive
after the p-waves and cannot travel through
liquids (outer core)
Focus vs. Epicenter
Tsunamis – giant sea waves often a result of
large earthquakes
Seismograph detects seismic waves and can be
used to determine the magnitude of the quake
Richter Scale measures the magnitude of an
earthquake using seismic tracings
Shadow Zone: area on earth’s surface that will
not receive earthquake waves for a specific
epicenter. Produced as a result of the refraction
of p and s waves as they travel through the
layers of the earth
P and S wave travel chart:
If you know the p-wave travel time you can find
the ____________________
If you know the distance to the epicenter, you
can find the ______________________
If you know the difference in arrival times of the
p and s waves, you can find the
__________________ (using scrap paper)
To find the exact location of an epicenter, you
need at least _____________ seismograph
locations.