Earthquakes IV: ERT, Waves
Waves
- wavelength: distance over which the wave repeats
- amplitude: distance from undisturbed position to point of max displacement (crest or trough)
- frequency: number of waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time
- higher frequency waves attenuate more quickly than lower frequency waves
Seismic Waves
- in an earthquake, energy is released when movement begins at the hypocenter
- the energy moves outwards as seismic waves through the earth
- like sound waves in a rock
- body waves: travel through the (body of) earth
- surface waves: travel near surface only
Body Waves
- travel through (body of) earth
- faster than surface waves
- generally not damaging to buildings
- can travel across/around the earth
- 2 types: p and s waves
P-Waves
- p = primary (or pressure)
- fastest, they arrive first\
- wave motion: parallel to direction of wave propagation
S-Waves
- s = secondary (or shear)
- slower than P-waves, but still much faster than surface waves
- wave motion: perpendicular to direction of wave propagation
Surface Waves
- travel near the surface only
- slower than body waves
- carry energy for greater distances away from the epicenter
- very damaging to buildings
- 2 types: love an Rayleigh waves
Love Waves
- first described by british mathematician A.E.H Love
- much slower than body waves
- move side to side, perpendicular to direction of wave propagation
Rayleigh Waves
- predicted to exist by Lord Rayleigh
- much slower than body waves
- move backwards- rotating, elliptical motion