Seismology Introduction Lecture #2 Prepared by Dr. Amin Khalil
Jun 19, 2015
Seismology
Introduction
Lecture #2Prepared by Dr. Amin Khalil
In this lecture
• Benioff Wadati zone• Types of Seismic Waves• Reading Seismograms• Seismic Phases• Travel time curves
Benioff-Wadati Zone
A dipping planar (flat) zone of earthquakes that is produced by the interaction of a downgoing oceanic crustal plate with a continental plate. These earthquakes can be produced by slip along the subduction thrust fault or by slip on faults within the downgoing plate as a result of bending and extension as the plate is pulled into the mantle
Types of Seismic Waves
Seismic Waves
Body Surface
Body Waves
• Body waves is that kind of seismic waves that travel through bodies
• It is subdivided into Primary (P) and Secondary (S) waves.
• P-waves is the fastest and arrive first at the seismograph.
• S-waves arrives second with time delay depends on the distance between the source and receiver.
Properties of P-waves
• Longitudinal waves
• Highest in velocity• Can travel through
all bodies (Solids, Liquids and gases
Properties of S-waves
• Transverse waves• Lower in speed• Can travel
through solids only
Surface Waves
• Surface waves propagates along surfaces only and vanishes exponentially away from the surface.
• Lower in frequencies and velocities than the body waves.
• Less attenuated thus it dominated seismic energy at teleseismic distances
• More dangerous specially for low natural frequency structures.
Reading Seismogram
Phases nomenclature
End of lecture #2Thank you