Download Earthquake Terms

Earthquake Terms
Seismology
The study of Earthquakes
Faults
 A break in the Earth’s crust
along which blocks of the crust
slide relative to one another
 Earthquakes occur along faults
because of this sliding.
Deformation – bending and
breaking of Earth’s crust
Plastic deformation
 Like a piece of
molded clay
 Does not lead
to earthquakes
Elastic deformation
 Like a rubberband
 Sudden return of
elastically deformed
rock to its
undeformed shape
 Energy is released
 Seismic waves cause
Earthquakes
Seismic Waves
A wave of energy that
travels through the
Earth.
P waves
S Waves
 A seismic wave that
causes particles of
rock to move in a
back-and forth
motion
 A seismic wave that
causes particles of rock
to move in a side-toside motion
 Primary waves –
pressure waves
 Secondary waves –
shear waves
 Fastest waves
 Second fastest waves
 Can travel through
solids, liquids, and
gases
 Cannot travel through
liquid
Surface Waves
 They move along the Earth’s
surface and produce motion
mostly in the upper few
kilometers of Earth’s crust.
 They move the ground much like
ocean waves move water.
 Travel more slow
 More destructive