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Schematic illustration of seismic wave differences.

Schematic illustration of seismic wave differences.
Schematic illustration of seismic wave differences.
Schematic illustration of seismic wave differences.
Schematic illustration of seismic wave differences.
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58522
Doucette, Jayne H.
Schematic illustration of seismic wave differences.
Illustration
05/24/2006
s-p_waves.jpg
Orginally drawn for John Collins of G&G for Oceanus Magazine, vol. 42, no. 2, 2004.
Image of The Day caption:
When an earthquake occurs, rocks at a fault line slip or rupture, and a portion of Earth's crust physically moves. That releases energy, and two types of seismic waves radiate outward from the earthquake through Earth's interior and along its surface. Compression waves (p-waves) alternately compress and release rocks in the direction the waves are moving. Shear waves (s-waves) move rocks perpendicularly to the direction the waves are moving. Compression and shear waves travel through the earth at different speeds. With seismic measurements of these waves, we can locate an earthquake's source.
Image of The Day rerun caption:
Earthquakes, including the recent major quakes in Chile and Haiti, release energy that radiates two kinds of seismic waves: compression waves (P waves) and shear waves (S waves). P waves alternately compress and release rocks in the direction the waves are moving. S waves move rocks perpendicular to the direction the waves are moving. "P waves travel faster, but S waves cause most of the damage because they are larger amplitude," says Jeff J. McGuire, associate scientist in Geology & Geophysics at WHOI. By measuring these waves, scientists can locate an earthquake's source.
Illustration by Jayne Doucette, WHOI Graphic Services
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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