Term | Definition |
Earthquake | Energy waves passing through Earth, Shift in fault line, Volcanic activity. |
Crust | Outer most, Rocky layer of Earth. |
fault | Crack within Earths crust layer |
mantle | Earths layer below the crust |
lithosphere | outer most layer of earths layer that is rocky and solid |
plates | one piece of earths crust |
seismologist | a scientist who studies earthquakes |
epicenter | the point on the earth's surface vertically above the focus of an earthquake. |
Seismic waves | an elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means. |
p-waves | P-waves are a type of elastic wave, called seismic waves in seismology, that can travel through a continuum. The continuum is made up of gases, liquids, or solids, including the Earth. P-waves can be produced by earthquakes and recorded by seismographs |
s-waves | A type of elastic wave, the S-wave, secondary wave, or shear wave is one of the two main types of elastic body waves, so named because they move through the body of an object, unlike surface waves. |
surface waves | In physics, a surface wave is a mechanical wave that propagates along the interface between differing media, usually two fluids with different densities. A surface wave can also be an electromagnetic wave guided by a refractive index gradient. |
seismograph | an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration. |
magnitude | the great size or extent of something. |
richter scale | a numerical scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of seismograph oscillations. |
mercalli scale | a scale formerly used to describe the magnitude of an earthquake |
moment magnitude scale | a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 |
tsunami | a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance. |
leiquefaction | the conversion of a solid or a gas into a liquid |
aftershock | a smaller earthquake following the main shock of a large earthquake. |
Base Isolators | building attached to its foundation to prevent damage |
shear core walls | braced panels in the wall line using structural plywood sheathing with specific nailing at the edges and supporting framing of the panel. |
tension ties | connecting walls and floors to prevent damage |
cross braces | wood panels making an x on a wall to prevent damage |
mass dampers | a device mounted in structures to reduce the amplitude of mechanical vibrations. |
flexible pipe | a pipe that lets energy go through it and as it goes through it bends to prevent damage. |
lithosphere | outermost shell of a rocky planet defined on the basis of the mechanical properties. |
Tension | the state of being stretched tight. |
compression | the action of compressing or being compressed. |
shearing | break off or cause to break off, owing to a structural strain. |
plateau | an area of relatively level high ground |
normal fault | an inclined fault in which the hanging wall appears to have slipped downward relative to the footwall |
reverse fault | thrust fault: a geological fault in which the upper side appears to have been pushed upward by compression |
strike slip fault | a fault in which rock strata are displaced mainly in a horizontal direction, parallel to the line of the fault. |