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Seismic Waves Vocab
Review vocabulary about seismic waves
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Body Wave | A seismic wave that moves through the interior of the earth. |
Earthquake | A term used to describe ground shaking and radiated seismic waves. |
P-Wave | A seismic wave that shakes the ground back and forth (compression) in the direction the wave is moving |
Surface Wave | A seismic wave that moves through the crust of the earth. |
Seismograph | The instrument that records vibrations in the ground. |
Seismogram | A tracing of earthquake motion. |
Seismic refraction | When seismic waves change velocity and direction when they enter a medium of different density than the one they just passed through. |
Seismic reflection | When seismic waves bounce off rock boundaries of different rock type. |
Seismologist | The person that studies and measures earthquake motion and vibrations. |
Mohorovicic discontinuity | The distinct boundary between the crust and the mantle where seismic waves are refracted. |
Shadow zone | An area on Earth’s surface where no direct seismic waves from an earthquake can be detected. |