Hypothesis:
The epicenter for any earthquake is always going to be where all three circles meet, so my hypothesis is that the epicenter is somewhere near Tennessee.
The epicenter for any earthquake is always going to be where all three circles meet, so my hypothesis is that the epicenter is somewhere near Tennessee.
1. Observe the three circles you have drawn. Where is the earthquakes epicenter?
The epicenter is in Tennessee, after all. All of the circles meet up there. By looking at the P and S waves and the difference between the two, I can tell that the last seismic wave located was in Denver, Colorado. The earthquake affected a lot of the United States, almost all of it except for parts in the west coast
The epicenter is in Tennessee, after all. All of the circles meet up there. By looking at the P and S waves and the difference between the two, I can tell that the last seismic wave located was in Denver, Colorado. The earthquake affected a lot of the United States, almost all of it except for parts in the west coast
Which city on the map is closest to the earthquakes epicenter? How far, in kilometers is this city from the epicenter?
The closest city is Nashville (Tennessee), which is 100 kilometers (approximately) away from the epicenter which is not very far at all.
The closest city is Nashville (Tennessee), which is 100 kilometers (approximately) away from the epicenter which is not very far at all.
3. In which of the three cities listed in the data table would seismographs detect the earthquake first? Last?
The P and S waves show that the first spot the seismographs would detect is Chicago, Illinois. That's because it's the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, or at least compared to the other cities listed on the table. The second place detected would be Houston, Texas, and the last city the seismic waves would reach is Denver, Colorado.
The P and S waves show that the first spot the seismographs would detect is Chicago, Illinois. That's because it's the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, or at least compared to the other cities listed on the table. The second place detected would be Houston, Texas, and the last city the seismic waves would reach is Denver, Colorado.
4. About how far from San Francisco is the epicenter that you found? What would be the difference between P and S arrival times for a recording station in San Francisco?
It's about 3,200 km away from the epicenter, which I found out by using a compass. The difference between the P and S arrival times for a recording station would be around 4 minutes and 40 seconds.
It's about 3,200 km away from the epicenter, which I found out by using a compass. The difference between the P and S arrival times for a recording station would be around 4 minutes and 40 seconds.
5. What happens to the difference between the P and S waves arrival times as the distance from the earthquake increases?
The distance between the arrival timing of the P and the S waves grows as the distance from the earthquake increases. For example - San Francisco is farthest away from the epicenter and would have the biggest difference between the arrivals of the two waves.
The distance between the arrival timing of the P and the S waves grows as the distance from the earthquake increases. For example - San Francisco is farthest away from the epicenter and would have the biggest difference between the arrivals of the two waves.
6. Review the procedure you followed in this lab and then answer the following question. When you are trying to locate an epicenter, why is it necessary to know the distance from the epicenter for at least three recording stations?
It's necessary to know the distance from the epicenter because otherwise you can't figure out the difference between the arrival timing of the P and S waves. As well as that, you need all three circles to find more or less the exact point of the epicenter - one circle just isn't specific/reliable enough.
It's necessary to know the distance from the epicenter because otherwise you can't figure out the difference between the arrival timing of the P and S waves. As well as that, you need all three circles to find more or less the exact point of the epicenter - one circle just isn't specific/reliable enough.
I like the image you chose to include showing the s and p wave time differences. You answered the data analysis questions correctly through the use of the map, data table, graph and times. Great job!
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