Earthquakes, Part 2: Earthquakes and Seismic Waves

Front

What are P waves?

Back

P waves, or primary waves, are the first type of seismic waves generated by an earthquake. They are compressional waves that travel through solids, liquids, and gases.

Front

What are S waves?

Back

S waves, or secondary waves, are seismic waves that arrive after P waves. They are shear waves that can only travel through solids.

Front

What are surface waves?

Back

Surface waves are seismic waves that travel along the Earth's surface. They are typically responsible for most of the damage during an earthquake.

Front

What is the Mercalli scale?

Back

The Mercalli scale measures the intensity of an earthquake based on its observed effects and damage at specific locations.

Front

What is the Richter scale?

Back

The Richter scale quantifies the amount of energy released by an earthquake, providing a numerical value to its magnitude.

Front

What is magnitude in the context of earthquakes?

Back

Magnitude is a measure of the energy released during an earthquake, often expressed on the Richter scale or moment magnitude scale.

Front

What is the focus of an earthquake?

Back

The focus is the point within the Earth where an earthquake originates, and seismic waves radiate outward from this point.

Front

What is the epicenter of an earthquake?

Back

The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

Front

What is the difference between P waves and S waves?

Back

P waves are compressional waves that can travel through solids, liquids, and gases, while S waves are shear waves that can only travel through solids.

Front

What are seismic waves?

Back

Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through the Earth, generated by the sudden release of energy during an earthquake.