Question

An earthquake's P-wave arrived at a seismograph station at 04 hours 29 minutes and 30 seconds. The earthquake's S-wave arrived at the same seismograph station at 04 hours 32 minutes and 30 seconds. What is the lag time?

A. 05 hours 02 minutes 00 seconds
B. 00 hours 03 minutes 00 seconds
C. 04 hours 32 minutes 00 seconds
D. 00 hours 04 minutes 30 seconds

Answer 1

The lag time between the P-wave and S-wave is calculated based on their arrival times, resulting in a lag time of 00 hours 03 minutes 00 seconds. Therefore, the correct answer is B. 00 hours 03 minutes 00 seconds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lag time between an earthquake's P-wave and S-wave is determined by subtracting the arrival time of the P-wave from the arrival time of the S-wave. In the given scenario, the P-wave arrived at the seismic station at 04 hours 29 minutes and 30 seconds, and the S-wave arrived at 04 hours 32 minutes and 30 seconds.

To calculate the lag time, simply calculate the time difference:

• Time of S-wave arrival: 04:32:30 (hh:mm:ss)
• Time of P-wave arrival: 04:29:30 (hh:mm:ss)
• Lag time: Time of S-wave arrival - Time of P-wave arrival = 3 minutes

Therefore, the correct answer is B. 00 hours 03 minutes 00 seconds.