SIO 50 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Subduction, Richter Magnitude Scale, Seismogram

• School: UCSD
• Department: Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Course: SIO 50
• Professor: Geoffrey Cook

Document Summary

Earthquakes are nothing more but the energy released due to the stress in faults and stuff. It is below the earth"s: epicenter is the point on the earth"s surface directly above the focus. Longer the distance and the faster the slip is, the bigger it is. Temporarily changes the volume of a material. Faastest seismic waves, same motion as sound waves. Can go through all layers cuz it can propogate through solids, gas, liquids. S-waves-2nd out, 2nd fastest velocity (secondary waves) Waves are shaking particles at right angles (perpen) to direction of travel. Can only go through solids: surface waves. Travel very close to the surface, very energetic, slowest. Produced when seismic waves reach the surface. Horizontal and vertical ground movement: side to side, up and down motion, rolling motion. Slower than p and s waves because more complex motions: order of seismic waves: p-waves, s-waves, surface waves.