| Term | Definition |
|---|
| focus | point beneath the earth's surface where an EQ starts |
| epicenter | point located at the Earth's Surface |
| seismic waves | vibrations that through the earth -- they carry energy away from the focus |
| 3 categories of seismic waves | P,S and Surface (L) Waves |
| P waves | first to arrive ----they compress and expand --pass through liquid and solid |
| S wave | secondary wave ---2nd wave to arrive ---vibrate from side to side--can not pass through liquids |
| Surface Waves | arrive last --produce the most severe ground damage |
| magnitude | measurement of earthquake strength |
| Mercalli Scale | rates EQ according to intensity --which is the strength of ground movement |
| Richter Scale | rating based upon Seismic Wave strength --can be used for small local EQ's only |
| moment magnitude scale | system that rates EQ based upon the total energy released -- can be used for all EQ's , near and far |
| locating an epicenter | done by using the p and s waves arrival times from 3 different locations |
Combine with other sets
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