Table of Contents
- 1 Can seismic waves be reflected?
- 2 Did the seismic waves go through the core?
- 3 What happens when seismic waves reach the core of the Earth?
- 4 What will happen to a seismic wave when it is reflected?
- 5 Why do seismic waves slow down when they enter the core of the Earth despite the fact that it is denser than the overlying material?
Can seismic waves be reflected?
A seismic reflection occurs when a wave impinges on a change in rock type (which usually is accompanied by a change in seismic wave speed). When a wave encounters a change in material properties (seismic velocities and or density) its energy is split into reflected and refracted waves.
Did the seismic waves go through the core?
There are three major kinds of seismic waves: P, S, and surface waves. These waves can travel through solids, liquids, and gases. P waves can travel through the liquid outer core. An S wave is a different beast.
Can a surface wave pass through the core?
Body waves can travel through the Earth’s inner layers, but surface waves can only move along the surface of the planet like ripples on water.
Where do seismic waves reflect?
The general principle of seismic reflection is to send elastic waves (using an energy source such as dynamite explosion or Vibroseis) into the Earth, where each layer within the Earth reflects a portion of the wave’s energy back and allows the rest to refract through.
What happens when seismic waves reach the core of the Earth?
Figure 19.2a: P-waves generally bend outward as they travel through the mantle due to the increased density of mantle rocks with depth. When P-waves strike the outer core, however, they bend downward when traveling through the outer core and bend again when they leave. The bending of seismic waves is called refraction.
What will happen to a seismic wave when it is reflected?
What will happen to a seismic wave when it is reflected? The wave will be bounced back toward its source.
What happens to seismic waves that pass through the outer core?
How do seismic waves travel to the surface of the Earth?
Seismic waves travel a curving path through the earth due to changes in composition, pressure, and temperature within the layers of the Earth. Seismic waves travel at different speeds through different materials. In this 2-layer model two wave fronts leave an impact at the same time but the lower layer is faster.
Why do seismic waves slow down when they enter the core of the Earth despite the fact that it is denser than the overlying material?
Seismic waves travel more quickly through denser materials and therefore generally travel more quickly with depth. Molten areas within the Earth slow down P waves and stop S waves because their shearing motion cannot be transmitted through a liquid.