Earthquakes & Seismic

Waves
An Earthquake occurs when energy is
released through rapid movement along a
fault.
 Current Earthquake Data
http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/
 Focus
That is the point along the fault line where the
rock under stress breaks.
 Epicenter
Is the point on the earth’s surface directly above
the Focus.
 Focal Depth
This is the distance between the Focus
and the Epicenter.
 Seismic Waves
Energy from an Earthquake is carried
away from the focus as Seismic Waves.
There are many different types of waves.
We will concentrate on the two most
prominent.
 Primary Waves
P Waves
The fastest seismic wave.
Arrives at recording stations first (Primary).
 Primary Waves
P waves are compressional waves.
The energy travels in the same direction as the
wave travels.
 Primary Waves
P waves can travel through solids, liquids
or gases.
 Secondary Waves
S Waves
Arrives at recording stations second
(secondary).
 Secondary Waves
S waves are transverse waves.
Another term is shear waves.
The energy is perpendicular to the direction of
wave travel.
 Secondary Waves
S Waves can only travel through solids.
 Surface Waves
Waves like L waves
and R waves travel
slightly slower then S
waves but do
tremendous damage.
https://www.youtub
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 Seismograph
Instruments that detect and measure seismic
waves are called Seismographs.
They originally were a weight and pen suspended
over a moving drum.
 Seismograph
The tracing on the drum is called a seismogram.
The different types of waves make different
tracings on the seismogram.
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 History of Earthquakes

Largest In Magnitude
Date Location Magnitude
May 22nd, 1960 Chile 9.5
March 28th, 1964 Alaska 9.2
December 26th, 2004 Sumatra (Ocean) 9.1
March 11th, 2011 Japan (Ocean) 9.0
February 27th, 2010 Chile 8.8

Largest In Destruction
• Date Location Deaths Magnitude
• Jan 25th, 1556 China 830,000 8
• July 27th, 1976 China 655,000 7.5
• Aug. 9th, 1138 Syria 230,000 Unknown
• Dec. 26th, 2004 Sumatra 227,898 9.1
• Jan. 12th, 2010 Haiti 222,570 7.0
 Locating an Earthquake
Epicenter…
To find where the Where the 3 circles
an Earthquake connect is where
originates you the earthquake
need wave data originated.
from 3 recording
stations.
Circles are drawn
around these
stations.
 Underwater E-quake
Fault movement along the ocean floor
moves the water up and down which can
create a massive wave called a “Tsunami”.
Tsunami
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