Earthquake

The vibration of the Earth produced by the rapid release of energy within the lithosphere

Fault

Fractures in the Earth where movement has occurred

Convergent boundary

Where tectonic plates collide, leading to subduction or continental collision

Transform boundary

The area where two tectonic plates horizontally slide past each other

Divergent boundary

When tectonic plates move apart from each other, creating new crust

Focus

The origin of the earthquake

Epicenter

Location directly above the focus

Seismic wave

Vibration of energy that travels through Earth’s interior or along it’s surface

Strike-slip fault

Where two plates slide past each other horizontally in opposite direction

Normal fault

Plates pull apart causing the hanging wall to slip downward relative to the foot wall

Reverse/ thrust fault

Plates collide and one block of rock is forced up and over another

Seismograph

Tool that detects and records seismic waves

Seismogram

Recorded output from a seismograph

Primary wave (p-wave)

Fastest wave, first to be recorded in seismograph

Body wave

Waves that travel through Earth’s interior

Surface wave

Waves that travel along Earth’s surface

Love wave

Moves ground side to side

Rayleigh wave

Rolling motion similar to ocean waves

Subduction

When one tectonic plates move apart goes underneath another