Seismic Waves Essay

In conclusion the recent conception and development of plate tectonic theory has greatly aided our understanding of the distribution of seismic events. We now understand that there is a correlation between earthquakes/volcanoes locations and their proximity to a plate boundary plates are continually moving and earthquakes and volcanoes are found along these boundaries. Exceptions to this rule such as Hawaii also help prove tectonic theory due to their unique creation. Whilst this has helped our understanding we also recognise the fact those in LEDCs with poor access to education are unaware of plate tectonic theory so they cannot understand the hazards that some countries face, nor have the means to mitigate against them thus worsening the

This allows geologists to study what’s happening and how geological processes work and progress through time.

Structural Geology – When large bodies of rocks are formed these did not happen in one day. They have history within that can be studied. Structural Geology discovers this history to be able to tell what happened before, what kind of tectonic plate occurred. Structural Geology supports other Geology areas such as Petrology to discover natural gas or petroleum to say the least.

Answer the lab questions for this week and summarize the lab experience using this form.

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

• This earthquake may not have released all of the strain stored in its rocks next to the fault this reveals a potential earthquake in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the near future. The occurrence of the earthquake showed that the Earth did not exhaust all its strain and hence other earthquakes could be expected. However, the dates could not be predicted. The extent of the damage could have been much more devastating for the region, but with the earthquake occurring near the coast this made half of the felt area westward in the Pacific Ocean. The occurrence of aftershocks ten days later reinforces the unpredictability nature and hence makes Geology to be a study that is always evolving. In conclusion, the Earth and the study of cannot be exhausted as every natural occurrence provides a new puzzle to be solved.

The ground movement created by the tremor source is recorded by instruments called seismographs. The follow made by a seismograph, called a

Areas that have become a prime source for these quakes are being heavily surveyed for signs of structural damage along with potential changes and repairs by home inspectors.

Offshore drilling is defined as” The operation of oil wells on the continental shelf, sometimes in water hundreds of feet deep” according to dictionary.com. This method of drilling is a very common form, being used throughout different locations offshore everywhere in the world, the first being in 1897 according to howstuffworks.com. The locations of oil are found by two main methods. The first one is by finding magnetic occurrences that are in natural in the ground. If readings found a steady amount of magnetism over a general area then suddenly a large decline, they could have found the location of an oil deposit. But to ensure that is in fact a trap, the second method called sparking. “sparking is sending shock waves down through the water and into the ocean floor.” This allows ships above to be able to read the ground below and see at different locations where

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.

Earthquake early warning systems alert devices and people when shaking waves generated by an earthquake are expected to arrive at their location. The seconds to minutes of advance warning allow people and systems to take actions to protect life and property from disastrous shaking. Devices such as isolation systems and dampers are designed to reduce vibrations of structures being effected in an earthquake and are added to the design of some modern buildings mainly in Japan. Advanced radar and infrared cameras take a series of images collecting data to identify signs of earthquakes. Advanced Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar shows fault movements over a period of years. Modems and Data Processing centres receive data collected by satellites to analyse the trends recognised in the electromagnetic emissions, radar pictures, infrared readings and elf

In this laboratory experiment, you will be working as an amateur seismologist to locate the epicenter of a fictional earthquake. Your task will involve interpreting seismograms from three seismograph stations; determining the difference in time between the arrival of the P waves and arrival of the S waves from the earthquake; using a travel-time graph to determine how far each seismograph station is from the epicenter; and using the technique of triangulation to pinpoint the

The natural resource industry continues to improve, providing the world with energy that fuels machines and keep homes warm. Drilling is the way the world has been getting oil from the ground due to the efficiency. A certain process can only work for so long and the output continues to decrease. Due to the high demands oil and natural gases, the world has turned to alternative ways retrieve these resources. Hydraulic fracturing is now the most effective way to retrieve oil and natural gas from the ground. Recently, the number of earthquakes have increased near hydraulic fracturing sites. Hydraulic fracturing is both beneficial and destructive at the same time. Several examples of seismic activity linked to fracking

Earthquakes have been recorded throughout history for thousands of years. Even before seismographs in early times, there are records and accounts of mysterious ground shaking. Earthquakes occur when rocks break along an underground fault (UPSeis, 2007). This, in return, causes vibrations through the earth which causes ground shaking. The magnitude of the shaking varies depending on how great the movement along the fault is; the greater the movement, the bigger the earthquake. Some earthquakes are huge and cause significant damage, while others are small and cause little or no damage what-so-ever. Earthquakes are unpredictable, and can happen at any time. It is uncertain where an earthquake will strike, but there is a greater risk

The earthquakes above give a brief glimpse into the importance of analyzing past and present fault configurations. If scientists could make a breakthrough in this area perhaps we could better predict earthquake activity and better prepare ourselves if it is deemed a potential disaster is looming.