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Document: Diagram of seismic wave movement

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Summary

There are two types of waves that can be used to study the Earth's interior:

• P-waves are Primary or Compressional Waves. Faster waves that have speeds of 5 km/s at the top of the crust, 8 km/s at the top of the mantle, and 14 km/s at the bottom of the mantle. They can travel through liquids and so can pass through Earth's liquid outer core.
• S-waves are Shear or Transverse waves. Slower than P-waves, they cannot travel through liquids and do not pass through the Earth's core.

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Last Updated: 7 May 2009

1 comment

EXPERT

Elizabeth Cranfield
12.11 PM, 25 November 2009

An animation would be fabulous here. The document is not really something that students would find relevant or understandable.

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• geosciences
• seismic
• earthquakes
• shaping the Earth
• P-waves
• S-waves

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