Earthquake Vocabulary
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The source point of an earthquake from which waves emanate.
focus
The process by which faults bind, store elastic energy, then rupture in an earthquake.
stick-slip
The study of earthquake waves.
seismology
An instrument for recording earthquake waves.
seismograph
A record of ground motion produced by a seismograph.
seismogram
Earthquake waves that travel along the Earth’s outer layer.
surface waves
Earthquake waves that travel through the Earth’s interior.
body waves
Longitudinal (push-pull/compression) body waves.
P waves (primary waves)
Transverse (shape deformation perpendicular to the direction of wave motion) body waves.
S waves (secondary waves)
The kind of body wave which cannot travel through fluids.
S waves (secondary waves)
The fastest kind of earthquake wave.
P wave
The slowest kind of earthquake wave.
surface wave
The location on the surface of the Earth directly above the focus of an earthquake.
epicenter
A measure of earthquake size by the amount of damage.
intensity
A measure of earthquake size based on calculations from measurements to estimate earthquake energy.
magnitude
The most famous earthquake intensity scale.
Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
The source point of an earthquake from which waves emanate.
focus
The first earthquake magnitude scale.
Richter scale
The magnitude scale scientists currently use for earthquake energy.
Moment magnitude
When unconsolidated materials saturated with water are subject to earthquake vibrations, the stable soil can turn into a mobile fluid, causing foundations to sink and sewer pipes to float, in a process called . . .
liquefaction
A massive wave caused by an undersea earthquake.
tsunami
The boundary between the crust and the mantle.
Moho (Mohoroviĉiĉ discontinuity)
The crust and the upper mantle together form the . . .
lithosphere
A soft weak layer with partial melting below the lithosphere.
asthenosphere