Question

P and S waves from an earthquake travel at different speeds, and this difference helps locate the earthquake "epicenter" (where the disturbance took place).Assum-ing typical speeds of 8.4 km/skm/s and 5.1 km/skm/s for P and S waves, respectively, how far away did an earthquake occur if a particular seismic station detects the arrival of these two types of waves 1.5 minmin apart?

Answer 1

To determine the distance to the earthquake epicenter, we can use the time difference between the arrival of S- and P-waves. Given the speeds of the waves and the time difference, we can calculate the distance using the formula distance = speed x time.

Step-by-step explanation:

Seismographs measure the arrival times of S- and P-waves, which travel at different speeds, to determine the distance to the earthquake epicenter. In this case, the S-wave travels at a speed of 5.1 km/s and the P-wave at a speed of 8.4 km/s. The time difference between their arrivals is 1.5 minutes or 90 seconds. To find the distance to the epicenter, we can use the formula distance = speed × time. So, the distance from the seismic station to the earthquake epicenter would be:

Distance = (8.4 km/s - 5.1 km/s) × 90 s

Distance=297km