PARAMETERS CRUST MANTLE OUTER CORE INNER CORE

State of Matter solid semisolid liquid solid

Composition aluminum ferro-magnesium

silicate Silicate rocks
molten nickel
&iron
iron and nickel

rocks,
balsatic ,
magnesium
silicates
Thickness 5-70km 2900 2270km 1220km

Temperature 200 900-3700 3700-4300 6000

The Continental Plates
 Elastic Rebound
Theory
Rocks bend under
stress while storing
elastic energy. When
the strain in the rocks
exceeds their
strength, breaking will
occur along the fault.
Stored elastic energy
is released as the
earthquake. Rocks“snap
back”, or rebound to
their original condition.
Spread of the Seismic Waves
Types of Earthquake (Seismic)
Waves
• Body Waves
• P-Waves (primary waves)
• S-Waves (secondary waves)

• Surface Waves
- L – Love Waves
- R – Raleigh Waves (surface, vertical)
P-Waves
P Wave Animation
S-Waves
S Wave Animation
Body Waves: P and S waves
• Body waves
• P or primary waves
• fastest waves
• travel through solids,
liquids, or gases
• compressional wave,
material movement is
in the same direction
as wave movement
• S or secondary waves
• slower than P waves
• travel through solids
only
• shear waves - move
material
perpendicular to
wave movement
 Surface Waves: R and L waves

• Surface Waves
• Travel just below or along the ground’s surface
• Slower than body waves; rolling and side-to-side
movement
• Especially damaging to buildings
The Poor House 
Seismograph
(Horizontal)
Seismograph (Vertical)