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if the difference in arrival time between the p and s waves is 2 min and 20 sec, how far is the epicenter

User Yezior
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1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The epicenter can be determined to be 210 kilometers away.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the distance to the epicenter of an earthquake, we use the difference in arrival time between the P-waves and S-waves. The P-waves travel faster than the S-waves, so the time difference between their arrivals can be used to determine the distance. The formula to calculate the distance is:

Distance = (Time difference * P-wave speed) / (P-wave speed - S-wave speed)

Plugging in the given values, the difference in arrival time is 2 minutes and 20 seconds, which is equivalent to 140 seconds. The P-wave speed is 6 km/s and the S-wave speed is 2 km/s. So, the distance to the epicenter can be calculated as:

Distance = (140 * 6) / (6 - 2) = 840 / 4 = 210 km

Therefore, the epicenter of the earthquake is 210 kilometers away.

User Bennett Adams
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