REVIEW QUESTIONS_Dynamic Crust_2024-2025

Front

What are P-waves?

Back

P-waves, or primary waves, are seismic waves that compress and expand the material they move through. They are the fastest seismic waves and can travel through solids, liquids, and gases.

Front

What are S-waves?

Back

S-waves, or secondary waves, are seismic waves that move the ground up and down or side to side. They are slower than P-waves and can only travel through solids.

Front

What is the shadow zone in seismology?

Back

The shadow zone is an area on the Earth's surface where no seismic waves are detected after an earthquake, indicating the presence of a liquid outer core.

Front

How do P-waves behave when they encounter the Earth's outer core?

Back

P-waves are refracted when they enter the outer core, which is liquid, allowing them to travel through it.

Front

How do S-waves behave when they encounter the Earth's outer core?

Back

S-waves are absorbed by the outer core and cannot travel through it, which is why they do not appear in the shadow zone.

Front

What is the relationship between tectonic plates and mid-ocean ridges?

Back

Mid-ocean ridges form at divergent boundaries where tectonic plates are moving apart, allowing magma to rise and create new oceanic crust.

Front

What is a seismogram?

Back

A seismogram is a record produced by a seismograph that shows the arrival times of seismic waves from an earthquake.

Front

How can the distance to an earthquake's epicenter be determined?

Back

The distance to the epicenter can be determined by measuring the difference in arrival times between P-waves and S-waves on a seismogram.

Front

What is the difference in speed between P-waves and S-waves?

Back

P-waves travel faster than S-waves, which is why they are the first to be detected by seismographs.

Front

Can P-waves travel through liquids?

Back

Yes, P-waves can travel through liquids, which is why they are detected in the outer core.