GEOL 1250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Seismic Wave, Elastic Energy, Epicenter

• School: University of Georgia
• Department: Geology
• Course: GEOL 1250
• Professor: Patino- Douce

Document Summary

Rocks store elastic energy as a consequence of plate motion. At some point the strength of the rock is exceeded. The elastic energy is released as seismic waves. After the stress is relieved, the fault locks up and the process starts over. Elastic energy is released during earthquakes as seismic waves. Moves away from the focus as waves in each direction. The focus of an earthquake is the point from which the energy is released. The epicenter is the point on the surface of the earth vertically above the focus. The focus is never on the surface because of body waves. Seismic waves begin as body waves and turn into surface waves. P waves l lllll l llll l l lllll lll l (like how a worm moves) In order to have s wave, you must move elastic and shear. All waves happening together snake, compression. Surface waves are responsible for much of the destruction associated with earthquakes.