GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The fact that the waves travel at speeds which depend on the material properties (elastic moduli and density) allows us to use seismic wave observations to investigate the interior structure of the planet.

Detailed explanation-2: -When an earthquake occurs, rocks at a fault line slip or break, and two sections of Earth’s crust physically move relative to one another. That movement releases energy, and two types of seismic waves radiate outward from the earthquake through Earth’s interior and along its surface.

Detailed explanation-3: -Types of Seismic 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.

Detailed explanation-4: -The energy radiates outward from the fault in all directions in the form of seismic waves like ripples on a pond. The seismic waves shake the earth as they move through it, and when the waves reach the earth’s surface, they shake the ground and anything on it, like our houses and us!

Detailed explanation-5: -As tectonic plates move past each other along fault zones, they sometimes get stuck. Pressure builds, and when the plates finally give and slip, energy is released as seismic waves, causing the ground to shake.