U4, L3: What are the characteristics of seismic waves?

Seismic Waves o Waves that are generated by an earthquake & travel through Earth o Ground can: move forward & backward, heave up & down, & shift side to side Origin of Seismic Waves o Stress builds along faults until the elastic limit is exceeded o Energy is released in the form of seismic waves o FOCUS: the point where the energy release first occurs; seismic waves are produced here & travel outward Earthquakes Produce3 Types of Seismic Waves 1. Primary Waves (P-waves) a. Cause particles to move back & forth in the same direction the wave is traveling b. Particles compress & stretch apart; a compressional wave 2. Secondary Waves (S-waves) a. Cause particles to move at right angles to the direction of wave travel b. A transverse wave 3. Surface Waves (L-waves) a. Particles move in a rolling motion, side-to-side motion b. Cause the most destruction!!! c. Produced when the energy reaches Earths surface d. Surface waves move outward from the epicenter e. EPICENTER: the point on Earths surface directly above the earthquakes focus