Earthquakes and Seismic Waves

The shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth's surface.

• focus

• epicenter

• earthquake

• magnitude

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's focus

• focus

• epicenter

• earthquake

• magnitude

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Measure of the energy released during an earthquake

• focus

• epicenter

• earthquake

• magnitude

The point beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress and causes an earthquake

• focus

• epicenter

• earthquake

• magnitude

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A type of seismic wave that compresses and expands the ground and are the first waves to arrive

• S wave

• P wave

• surface waves

• magnitude

seismic waves that travel along the Earth's surface and produce more severe ground movements

• S wave

• P wave

• surface waves

• magnitude

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A type of seismic wave that moves the ground up and down or side to side

• S wave

• P wave

• surface waves

• magnitude

A scale that rates earthquakes according to their intensity and how much damage they cause at a particular place

• Richter scale

• moment magnitude scale

• seismograph

• Mercalli scale

A scale that rates an earthquake's magnitude based on the size of its seismic waves.

• Richter scale

• moment magnitude scale

• seismograph

• Mercalli scale

A scale that rates earthquakes by estimating the total energy released by an earthquake

• Richter scale

• moment magnitude scale

• seismograph

• Mercalli scale