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Earthquakes

We can feel earthquakes - but did you know they send out waves as well? Earthquakes produce two types of waves: primary and secondary waves.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes

  • Earthquakes are caused by a build-up of pressure within the Earth's crust.
  • Earthquakes occur along tectonic plate boundaries.
  • The focus of the earthquake is where it originates from.
  • The epicentre is the point on the surface of Earth directly above the focus.
  • Earthquakes send out seismic waves from the focus (S and P waves).
  • The strength of the earthquake is measured on the Richter Scale.
  • A seismograph measures the seismic waves.
Primary waves

Primary waves

  • Primary or P waves are longitudinal.
    • Primary waves can travel through liquids and solids.
  • They can be detected on the other side of the world because they travel with the Earth’s liquid core.
  • They travel very fast (faster than S waves) so will be first to be detected on a seismograph.
Secondary waves

Secondary waves

  • Secondary or S waves are transverse.
  • They can only travel through solids.
  • These are the waves that shake the ground.
  • Secondary waves are seismic waves.
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