Seismic Wave Word Problems

Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents a cut-away view of Earth's interior and the paths of some of the seismic waves produced by an earthquake that originated below Earth's surface. Points A, B, and C represent seismic stations on Earth's surface. Point D represents a location at the boundary between the core and the mantle. Seismic station A is 5000 kilometers from the epicenter. What is the difference between the arrival time of the first P-wave and the arrival time of the first S-wave recorded at this station?

• 2 minutes 20 seconds

• 6 minutes 40 seconds

• 8 minutes 20 seconds

• 15 minutes 00 second

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

The arrival time of the first earthquake P-wave at a seismograph station was 10:14:10

(hours: minutes: seconds). If the epicenter of the earthquake is 5600 km away,

what was the approximate arrival time of the first S-wave from this earthquake?

• 10:30:20

• 10:09:20

• 10:20:40

• 10:21:20

What is the approximate time difference between the first P-wave and the first S-wave recorded at a seismic station located 8000 kilometers from an earthquake's epicenter?

• 8 minutes 40 seconds

• 9 minutes 20 seconds

• 11 minutes 20 seconds

• 20 minutes 40 seconds

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

An earthquake's first P-wave arrives at a seismic station at 12:23:00. This P-wave has traveled 4000 kilometers from the epicenter. At what time will the first S-wave from the same earthquake arrive at the seismic station?

• 11:52:50

• 12:05:40

• 12:28:40

• 12:12:40

A seismic station is recording the seismic waves produced by an earthquake that occurred 2800 kilometers away. Approximately how long after the arrival of the first P-wave will the first S-wave arrive?

(Pick the closest answer)

• 9 min 40 sec

• 5 min 20 sec

• 4 min 20 sec

• 14 min 10 sec

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

The first P-wave of an earthquake took 11 minutes to travel to a seismic station from the epicenter of the earthquake.

What is the seismic station's distance to the epicenter of the earthquake and

how long did it take for the first S-wave to travel that distance?

• Distance to epicenter: 3350 km

  S-wave travel time:

  4 min 50 sec

• Distance to epicenter: 3350 km

  S-wave travel time:

  6 min 10 sec

• Distance to epicenter: 7600 km

  S-wave travel time:

  5 min

• Distance to epicenter: 7600 km

  S-wave travel time:

  20 min

A P-wave takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds to travel from the epicenter of an earthquake to a seismic station. Approximately how long will an S-wave take to travel from the epicenter of the same earthquake to this seismic station?

• 6 min 40 sec

• 9 min 40 sec

• 15 min 00 sec

• 19 min sec

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

A seismic station 2400 kilometers from the epicenter of an earthquake records the arrival time of the first P-wave at 10:00:00. At what time did the first S-wave arrive at this station? (Pick the closest answer)

• 9:55:00

• 10:03:50

• 10:08:30

• 10:10:40

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

Base your answer to the following question on the cross-sectional view of Earth, which shows seismic waves traveling from the focus of an earthquake. Points A and B are locations on Earth's surface. A seismic station located at point A is 5400 kilometers away from the epicenter of the earthquake. If the arrival time for the P-wave at point A was 2:00 p.m., the arrival time for the S-wave at point A was approximately...

• 1:53 p.m.

• 2:07 p.m.

• 2:09 p.m.

• 2:16 p.m.

The P wave arrives at 11: 16: 50 am and the S wave arrives at 11: 20: 10 am.

Approximately how far from the earthquake epicenter is this seismic station?

• 3,000 km

• 2,200 km

• 1,800 km

• 1,600 km

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1