1.7 - Seismic Waves

• S Waves are transverse
• Surface waves travel the slowest
• Surface waves cause the most damage
• P waves travel through solids and liquids
• P waves are longitudinal
• Surface waves are longitudinal
• S waves travel slowly through solids only
• Inner Core - P-waves only
• Outer Core – P-waves only
• Mantle allows P-waves, S-waves
• Crust allows P-waves, S-waves, Surface waves
• tectonic plates ‘float’ on the mantle
• Crust - relatively thin and rocky
• Mantle - has the properties of a solid, but can flow very slowly
• Outer Core - made from liquid nickel and iron
• Inner Core - made from solid nickel and iron
• • P waves are the fastest
  • S waves are slower
  • Surface waves are the slowest
• surface waves travel along the Earth’s surface only
• On a seismometer, P waves arrive first and are the smallest then S waves and lastly Surface Waves being the biggest
• 3 seismometers give the exact location for an earthquake's epicenter
• Crust -> Mantle -> Outer Core -> Inner Core
• In the crust all waves are present
• In the mantle only P and S waves are present
• In the outer and inner core only P waves are present
• Shadow zones are the areas where waves do not reach
• the speed of seismic waves increases as they travel toward the Earth's mantle
• S wave shadow zones led to the model of the Earth having a liquid core