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An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. Tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they can get stuck at their edges due to friction.When the stress on the edge of a tectonic plate overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the Earth's crust and cause the shaking that is felt.
Hypocenter (Focus) and epicenter of an earthquake. An earthquake's hypocenter or focus is the position where the strain energy stored in the rock is first released, marking the point where the fault begins to rupture. [3] This occurs directly beneath the epicenter, at a distance known as the hypocentral depth or focal depth. [3]
An aftershock is an earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake, the mainshock. Rapid changes of stress between rocks, and the stress from the original earthquake are the main causes of these aftershocks, [35] along with the crust around the ruptured fault plane as it adjusts to the effects of the mainshock. [32]
Earthquakes occur when two plates suddenly slip past each other, setting off seismic waves that cause the planet's surface to shake, according to the USGS. What is an earthquake, scientifically ...
Air suitable for use in photosynthesis by terrestrial plants and respiration of terrestrial animals is found within the troposphere. [3] The study of Earth's atmosphere and its processes is called atmospheric science (aerology), and includes multiple subfields, such as climatology and atmospheric physics.
The main observational constraint on identifying liquid layers and/or structures within the earth come from seismology. When an earthquake occurs, seismic waves radiate out spherically from the earthquake's hypocenter. [5] Two types of body waves travel through the Earth: primary seismic waves (P waves) and secondary seismic waves (S waves).
The magnitude of an earthquake depends in part on the length of the geological fault on which the quake occurs. Longer faults result in stronger earthquakes. There are no known faults capable of ...
P wave and S wave from seismograph Velocity of seismic waves in Earth versus depth. [1] The negligible S-wave velocity in the outer core occurs because it is liquid, while in the solid inner core the S-wave velocity is non-zero. A seismic wave is a mechanical wave of acoustic energy that travels through the Earth or another planetary body.