GEOSC 010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Elastic-Rebound Theory, Seismology, Epicenter
Document Summary
An earthquake occurs when the pieces of rock that make up the earth"s crust slip and move against each other. The areas where these pieces of the earth"s crust meet are called faults. The exact location where slippage begins is known as the hypocenter or focus. The waves of movement and energy radiate from the hypocenter, and the first point at which they reach the surface is known as the epicenter. These waves of movement and energy are called seismic waves. When the pressure gets too great, the rock plates of the earth"s crust snap back into place. This is known as an elastic rebound, as the pieces snap back like elastic rubber. Small movements before or after the main quake are known as foreshocks and aftershocks, respectively. Earthquakes are the release of hundreds of years of pressure building up along faults. Faults are where the plates of the earth"s crust meet.
