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What conclusion would you draw if a seismogram from a particular seismic station showed only P waves?

User Jaxox
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1 Answer

14 votes

Answer:

The Earthquake occurred on the other side of the Earth

Step-by-step explanation:

One of the main difference between P-waves and S-waves is that P-waves can travel through solids and liquids, while S-waves can only travel through solids. They are not able to travel through liquids.

So, if a seismic station showed only P waves, it means that there was some area in liquid state between the seismic station and the hypocenter of the earthquake. Inside the Earth, the outer part of the core is made of liquid, so this means that there outer core was along the line connecting the seismic station and the hypocenter and "blocked" the S-waves: therefore, the earthquake occurs on the other side of the Earth.

User Leonardo Cardoso
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