LESSON

OBJECTIVES
• Identify the layers of the Earth and their characteristics in relation to
seismic waves.
• Describe the behavior of seismic waves.
• Compare and contrast P wave and S wave in terms of their speed and
behavior
• Explain how seismic waves are used to describe the interior of the
Earth
 UNDERSTANDING EARTHQUAKE: SEISMIC WAVES
- waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock
SEISMIC WAVES within the earth
- carry energy from an earthquake away from the focus,
through Earth’s interior, and across the surface.
UNDERSTANDING EARTHQUAKE: SEISMIC WAVES

SEISMIC WAVES

BODY WAVES SURFACE WAVES

- Waves that travels in - Waves that travels in
Earth’s interior Earth’s surface
- Fast travelling - Slow travelling

Love Rayleigh
P wave S wave
wave wave
 UNDERSTANDING EARTHQUAKE: SEISMIC WAVES
Body Waves
- Primary wave
P wave - Fastest travelling seismic
wave
- Compressional wave
(Longitudinal wave)
- Can travel in solids and
liquids
- Secondary wave
S wave - Slow travelling seismic
wave as compared to P
wave
- Transverse wave
- Can travel in solids
 oPrimary or P-waves
pass through liquid and
solid
oSecondary or S-waves
pass only through solid
and not through liquid.
 P-waves travel faster than S-
waves.
 The time gap in the arrival of P-wave and S-wave can give the
estimate of the distance to the earthquake.
DEPARTMENT O F EDUCATION
Compressional Wave (P-Wave) Animation
Shear Wave (S-Wave) Animation
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
TYPES OF BODYWAVES
P WAVES S WAVES
Compressional Waves Shearing/transverse Waves

Particles move PARALLEL to the Particles move PERPENDICULAR to

direction of the wave (back and the direction of the wave (left and
forth) right)

Travels in both solid and liquid Travels in solid particles only

particles
Fastest form of seismic waves and Slower than the P-Waves, second to
first to arrive in the seismograph arrive in the seismograph.
DEPARTMENT O F EDUCATION
 UNDERSTANDING EARTHQUAKE: SEISMIC WAVES
Surface Waves
Love - It's the fastest surface
Wave wave and moves the
ground from side-to-
side

Rayleigh - Wave that rolls the ground

- Moves the ground up and
wave
down, and side-to-side
- Most of the shaking felt
from an earthquake is due
to the Rayleigh wave
- Highly destructive
Love Wave (L-Wave) Animation
Rayleigh Wave (R-Wave) Animation
DEPARTMENT O F EDUCATION
P-WAVES

CRUST MANTLE OUTER CORE INNER CORE

S-WAVES

DEPARTMENT O F E D U C A TION