Cabana, Georgette Alison 10-SPAMrs. Mabaggu June 25, 2015

Activity 1: AMAZING WAVES!

SEISMIC WAVES

Seismic waves are the waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within the earth or an explosion.

MAIN TYPES

Body Waves Surface Waves

SUB- TYPES SUB-TYPES

P- Waves or Primary Waves

S- Waves or Secondary Waves

Love Waves Rayleigh Waves

CHARACTERISTICS- More powerful and fastest kind of seismic wave.- Called a longitudinal wave, because its energy transfer and wave propagation is directly along its line of motion.- Can move through solid rock and fluids, like water or the liquid layers of the earth.

CHARACTERISTICS - Less powerful, slower moving. - Called a transverse wave, because its method of propagation is like an "S." -Does not travel through fluids, so does not exist in Earth’s outer core.-Inferred to be primarily liquid iron or in air or water or molten rock (magma). 

CHARACTERISTICS -Rayleigh waves are dispersive and the amplitudes generally decrease with depth in the Earth.  - Appearance and particle motion are similar to water waves.   -Depth of penetration of the Rayleigh waves is also dependent on frequency, with lower frequencies penetrating to greater depth.

CHARACTERISTICS - Love waves exist due to the Earth’s surface.  -Largest at the surface and decreases in amplitude with depth.  -Love waves are dispersive or, the wave velocity is dependent on frequency; with low frequencies propagating at higher velocity.  -Depth of penetration of the Love waves is also dependent on frequency

Cabana, Georgette Alison 10-SPAMrs. Mabaggu June 25, 2015

Q1. Differentiate surface waves from body waves.

Body waves are seismic waves that travel through the body of a medium like, through the interior of the Earth. On the other hand, surface waves are seismic waves that travel along the surface of a medium and have a strong effect near the surface of the medium than it has in the interior. Surface waves propagate only at the interface between two different media, like the interface between Earth and atmosphere (i.e. the surface of the Earth).

Q2. Which type of waves do you think were useful to seismologist in their study of the Earth's interior? Explain your answer.

Compressional & Shear (P & S) Body waves have generally smaller and higher frequencies than that of the Surface waves. So, Body waves are more useful to seismologists because their energies are the first to arrive on a seismogram.