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Features of Earthquakes. Origin of Seismic Waves. Moving rocks get caught on each other at faults Stress builds up until elastic limit is passed Built-up energy is released at the focus
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Origin of Seismic Waves • Moving rocks get caught on each other at faults • Stress builds up until elastic limit is passed • Built-up energy is released at the focus • Seismic waves are produced & travel outward from focus
3 types of seismic waves • Primary • Secondary • Surface
Primary or P-waves • Particles in rocks move back and forth in same direction that wave is traveling • Fastest
Secondary or S-waves • Particles in rocks move at right angles to direction wave is traveling • Slower
Surface Waves • Particles in rocks move in a backward rolling motion & side to side swaying • Slowest • Most destructive
Epicenter • Focus
Locating the epicenter • Seismologists take seismograms from 3 different seismograph locations. • They use these to determine the distance to the epicenter of each station. • Then they draw a circle around each station with the distance as a radius. • Point where all 3 intersect is the epicenter.
Basic Structure of Earth • Crust • Upper mantle • Lower mantle • Outer core • Inner core
Crust • Outermost layer • Thickness varies 5 -60 km • More silicon & aluminum • Less magnesium & iron • Less dense than mantle
Upper Mantle • Contains the asthenosphere • Weak rock flows slowly
Lower mantle • Made of silicon, oxygen, magnesium, & iron
Outer Core • Liquid made mostly of iron
Inner Core • Solid • Dense • Mostly iron with nickel, oxygen, silicon,& sulfur • Pressure keeps it solid
Shadow Zone • area where NO seismic waves are detected • Primary are slowed and bent but not stopped • Secondary are not transmitted through the liquid outer core
Moho • Boundary between crust and upper mantle (Mohorovicic discontinuity)
Speed of Seismic Waves • Seismic waves speed up through bottom of crust & upper mantle • Primary and Secondary slow down in asthenosphere • Gains speed in solid part of mantle • Secondary stops in liquid outer core • Primary slow in outer core and speed up in solid inner core