How do earthquake waves propagate?

How do earthquake waves propagate?

Seismic waves can be generated by a sudden release of energy such as an earthquake, volcanic eruption, or chemical explosion. There are several types of seismic waves, often classified as body waves, which propagate through the volume of the Earth, and surface waves, which travel along the surface of the Earth.

What is the direction of propagation of a seismic wave during earthquake?

In P or compressional waves, the vibration of the rock is in the direction of propagation. P waves travel fastest and are the first to arrive from the earthquake. In S or shear waves, rock oscillates perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.

Does an earthquake wave require a medium?

Common types of mechanical waves include sound or acoustic waves, ocean waves, and earthquake or seismic waves. In order for compressional waves to propagate, there must be a medium, i.e. matter must exist in the intervening space.

What is the source of earthquake waves?

Seismic waves are usually generated by movements of the Earth’s tectonic plates but may also be caused by explosions, volcanoes and landslides. When an earthquake occurs shockwaves of energy, called seismic waves, are released from the earthquake focus.

What are the 3 types of waves in a earthquake?

There are three major kinds of seismic waves: P, S, and surface waves. P and S waves together are sometimes called body waves because they can travel through the body of the earth, and are not trapped near the surface. A P wave is a sound wave traveling through rock.

What is P and S-waves?

P-waves are compression waves that apply a force in the direction of propagation. On the other hand, S-waves are shear waves, which means that the motion of the medium is perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave. The energy is thus less easily transmitted through the medium, and S-waves are slower.

What are the two main types of earthquake waves?

The two main types of waves are body waves and surface waves. Body waves can travel through the Earth’s inner layers, but surface waves can only move along the surface of the planet like ripples on water. Earthquakes send out seismic energy as both body and surface waves.

How is the propagation of a seismic wave?

Seismic wave propagation is a ground motion phenomenon that relates to the passage of body waves, including compression waves and shear waves, radially from the source of earthquake energy release (hypocenter) into the surrounding rock and soil medium.

What kind of waves are generated by an earthquake?

An earthquake at its source generates only compression and shear waves, and propagation of its radiated waves can be evaluated using ray theory (Pujol, 2003 ).

Which is an example of displacement propagating through an elastic medium?

Seismic wave propagation is an example of a displacement propagating through an elastic medium. The equation for a wave propagating through an elastic, homogeneous, isotropic medium is

How is a wave propagated through an isotropic medium?

The equation for a wave propagating through an elastic, homogeneous, isotropic medium is ρ = the mass density of the medium u = the displacement measurement of the medium from its undisturbed state (Tatham and McCormack, 1991) The following derivation shows how a displacement of an isotropic medium propagates through the medium.