Chapter 1
The puzzle pieces beneath our feet
Chapter 2
When mountains blow their tops
Chapter 3
Shaking things up down below
Chapter 4
Coexisting with a restless planet
Ch 3 · Shaking things up down below
artiteacher Tsunamis
They race at jet-plane speed through the trenches of the deep, While the quiet surface rolls like the water is asleep.
artiteacher Energy travels from the underground focus to the surface epicenter, compressing the ground and shaking it side-to-side.
Quiz
Which type of seismic wave travels the fastest and is the first to arrive at a seismograph station?
Quiz
What is the term for the exact point underground where an earthquake rupture actually begins?
artiteacher Comparing arrival times at three different stations locates the exact epicenter of an earthquake.
Quiz
What scientific instrument is used to detect and record the vibrations produced by seismic waves?
Quiz
How many seismograph stations are needed at a minimum to locate the epicenter of an earthquake using triangulation?
Fun Fact
Silent warnings: Some animals, like dogs and birds, can detect fast-traveling P-waves seconds before the destructive S-waves arrive, making them appear to predict earthquakes.
Quiz
Which scale do modern seismologists prefer to use to measure the total energy released by very large earthquakes?