Seismic Waves Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

What produces seismic waves?

Earthquakes.

What type of wave is a P-wave, and which materials can it travel through?

Longitudinal; it travels through both solids and liquids, at different speeds in each.

What type of wave is an S-wave, and which materials can it travel through?

Transverse; it travels through solids but cannot travel through a liquid.

What evidence from seismic waves shows that the Earth's outer core is liquid?

S-waves are not detected on the far side of the Earth (an S-wave shadow zone), because S-waves cannot travel through liquid.

True or false? S-waves travel faster than P-waves, so they arrive at a seismometer first.

False. P-waves are faster and arrive first.

Why is the study of seismic waves important to scientists?

It gave new evidence about the structure and size of the Earth's core, parts of the Earth that cannot be observed directly.