Vocab set 3 EDS

Front

epicenter

Back

Location on Earth’s surface directly above an earthquake’s focus.

Front

P wave

Back

The first (Primary) earthquake wave to reach a seismograph station. It travels through the Earth as a compression wave.

Front

S wave

Back

A Secondary earthquake wave, (moves slower than a primary wave). It travels through the body of Earth as a series of side-to-side waves.

Front

focus

Back

The location beneath Earth’s surface where the energy of an earthquake is released.

Front

core

Back

Earth’s innermost layers, consisting of a liquid iron outer core and a solid iron-nickel inner core.

Front

lithosphere

Back

The cool, solid outer shell of Earth consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.

Front

asthenosphere

Back

The soft layer of the mantle under the lithosphere (and on which the lithosphere floats very slowly).

Front

mantle

Back

The layer of Earth beneath the crust.

Front

Plate tectonics

Back

A theory that the lithosphere is broken into plates that “float” on the asthenosphere.

Front

crust

Back

Earth’s outermost layer; the coolest and least thick layer of Earth.