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how do scientists use P and S waves to infer the layers of the inner Earth.

User GChuf
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P waves travel through basically everything mean while S only travels through solids, so if an earthquake happens it sends off both types of waves. If an S wave randomly stops were able to tell there is something other than solid there, like the mantel of the earth that is only liquid
User Dubukay
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Answer:

Step-by-step explanation:

First of all, we need to remember that:

P-waves travel through solid, liquid, and gas.

S-waves travel through solid only.

L-waves travel from focus directly to the epicenter.

P-waves and S-waves helped scientists to determine the structure of the earth. For example in the core:

At the depth of about 2900 km below the earth's surface, P-waves passing through the earth slow down rapidly and S-waves disappear. These changes in the movement of the two seismic waves indicate that they're passing through a liquid layer which is the outer core. Then at a depth of about 5150 km, the P-waves speed up meaning it is again traveling in a solid part of the earth which is the inner core.

Step-by-step explanation:

User Tning
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