Four Types Of Tectonic Waves : Proofing Of An Earthquake

Harmonic tremors are often the result of magma pushing against the overlying rock below the surface.

In Valdivia, Chile 1960 an earthquake changed the lives of many. An earthquake is the violent shaking of the ground that will destroy homes, buildings, landforms, historical monuments, and lives. Earthquakes begin with the breakage of rock along a fault line. When two tectonic plates rub against each other they create an earthquake. Earthquakes will ride along a fault line which will determine how long the quake will go on. The larger and longer the fault like the bigger the earthquake. Earthquakes send out waves, primary waves or, p waves and secondary waves or, s waves travel along the interior of the earth. These two waves are called body waves. While detecting the waves, the primary waves appear first then the secondary waves. Primary waves travel through solids, liquids, and gasses, which means they are about to travel through the liquid center. Secondary waves are only able to travel through solids which are why scientists have found that there is a loss of these waves once they reach the center.

Earthquakes can be created on any of the plate boundaries. Earthquakes occur when tension is released from inside the crust. Plates do not always move smoothly alongside each other and sometimes get stuck. When this happens pressure builds up. When this pressure is eventually released, an earthquake tends to occur. The point inside the crust where the pressure is released is called the focus. The point on the Earth's surface above the focus is called the epicentre. Earthquake energy is released in seismic waves. These waves spread out from the focus. The waves are felt most strongly at the epicentre, becoming less strong as they travel further away. The most severe damage caused by an earthquake will happen close to the epicentre.

D. P-wave amplitude is larger than all the other seismic waves recorded on a seismogram.

The earthquake was felt from southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles and inland as far as central Nevada, an area of approximately 200,000 square miles. The ground motion caused by the earthquake source is recorded by instruments called seismographs. The zigzag trace made by a seismograph, called a "seismogram," reflects the changing amplitude and frequency content of the ground shaking beneath the instrument (usgs.gov). Using seismograms, scientists can determine the time, the epicenter, the depth, and the type of faulting of an earthquake as well as estimate how much energy was released by it.

water fractures within the earth. Causing certain areas of the land to have an earthquake effect

Since these earthquakes are caused by tectonic plate movement therefore displacing the ocean floor they are almost always accompanied by massive ocean waves, sometimes reaching heights of over 100 ft and reaching speeds of 500 mph, known as seismic sea waves or more commonly known as Tsunamis4. Alongside the catastrophic events that megathrust earthquakes ensue on an affected region these colossal Tsunami waves further destruct costal lines in their path, sometimes reaching many miles inland.

The energy coming from this rupture is called seismic waves. These waves fan out in every direction from the earthquakes epicenter and results in intense shaking. Once this shaking reaches the earth’s surface, everything from the ground up will also proceed to shake (Wald 2012). In order to measure the size of an earthquake, scientists use seismographs. Seismographs consist of a base, a spring, pen, rotating drum, and a heavy weight. The base is placed in the ground while the weight hangs above. When an earthquake occurs the spring absorbs the shaking and the weight and pen, which remain motionless, record the difference between the shaking and motionless part of the seismograph. Seismograph recordings consist of short and long wavy lines, with long lines indicating a larger earthquake (Wald 2012). These recordings are then

An earthquake would be classified as a sudden ferocious shaking of the ground, typically causing great obliteration because of manoeuvre within the earth’s crust or volcanic action.

The most common cause of earthquakes is movement along faults. Earth’s crust is divided into tectonic plates, which grind past each other at fault boundaries. As tectonic plates move,

The slope of the seafloor controls the way a wave breaks. If the seafloor has a gentle slope, then the wave will break far away from the shore, this gives the surfer a long and gentle ride to shore. If the seafloor has a moderate slope, the waves build up quickly, forming a peak that leans forward at a steep angle. This wave then curls forward until it crashes

Students utilize articles to learn the aspects of waves that impact the earth’s crust in the form of earthquakes. Students simulate these waves using slinkies and calculate wave speed. Students also analyze the possible destructive forces of these waves.

Earthquakes cause ground shaking events caused by rapid movement of falts pushing past each other. Falts, hypocenters, and epicenters are all related due to earthquakes. Falts are breaks in a rock mass that fit together perfectly with massive amounts of pressure on eachother. Most falts are locked except for very brief moments causeing earthquakes. Understanding where the earthquake originated is nessasary in messureing the scale or magnitude of the earth quake. The Hypocenter or focus is where the falts started pushing past or against eachother. The point on earths surface directly above the hypocenters is the epocenter.

Which of the seismic waves move fastest? Does this agree with the known facts about P-waves that cause earthquakes? Use your readings and lecture notes as supporting information.

     An Earthquake is the shaking of the earth's surface caused by rapid movement of the earth's rocky outer layer. The sudden shaking of the ground that occurs when masses of rock change position below the Earth's surface is called an earthquake. The shifting masses send out shock waves that may be powerful enough to alter the surface of the Earth, thrusting up cliffs and opening great cracks in the ground.