What Causes The Velocity Of A P Wave To Slow Down When It Enters The Outer Core?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What causes the velocity of a P-wave to slow down when it enters the outer core? a. The outer core is a much more dense material than the mantle. …

The outer core is liquid, and thus the wave slows down

.

What happens to P-wave velocity when the wave travels from the outer core into the inner core?

The P–wave velocity

increases smoothly with depth from 8.1 km/s at the outer rim to 10.3 km/s

above the inner core boundary. The boundary between the inner and outer core is fairly sharp.

How does the velocity of P-waves change as they travel through the mantle outer core and inner core?

Generally, p-wave velocity

increases with depth and increases with increasing rigidity of a material

. Therefore p-waves travel fastest through the solid, iron inner core of Earth. Answer 2: Waves travel through different materials differently.

Do P-waves increase or decrease in velocity as they enter the outer core the velocity of P-waves?

S-waves do not pass through the outer part of the core. P-wave

velocities increase dramatically at the boundary between the liquid outer core

and the solid inner core.

What causes the velocity of a P-wave to speed up when it enters the inner core quizlet?


The inner core is liquid

, and thus the wave speeds up.

Do P-waves travel through the outer core?

These waves can travel through solids, liquids, and gases. P waves

can travel through the liquid outer core

.

Where do P-waves travel the fastest?

Because the

earth’s mantle

becomes more rigid and compressible as the depth below the asthenosphere increases, P-waves travel faster as they go deeper in the mantle. The density of the mantle also increases with depth below the asthenosphere. The higher density reduces the speed of seismic waves.

How fast do P waves travel through granite?

Rock Type Velocity [m/s] Velocity [ft/s] Dolomite 6,400–7,300 21,000–24,000 Anhydrite 6,100 20,000 Granite

5,800–6,100


19,000–20,000
Gabbro 7,200 23,600

Are P waves faster than S waves?


P waves travel fastest

and are the first to arrive from the earthquake. In S or shear waves, rock oscillates perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. In rock, S waves generally travel about 60% the speed of P waves, and the S wave always arrives after the P wave.

On which layer did both P and S waves passed through?

Table 1 Properties of P-waves and S-waves P-waves pass through both

mantle and core

, but are slowed and refracted at the mantle / core boundary at a depth of 2900 km. S-waves passing from the mantle to the core are absorbed because shear waves cannot be transmitted through liquids.

What happens when P waves hit the outer core?

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.

Does seismic velocity increase with depth?

Seismic velocities tend

to gradually increase with depth in the mantle

due to the increasing pressure, and therefore density, with depth. However, seismic waves recorded at distances corresponding to depths of around 100 km to 250 km arrive later than expected indicating a zone of low seismic wave velocity.

Why do S-waves cause more damage than P waves?

S waves are more dangerous than P waves

because they have greater amplitude and produce vertical and horizontal motion of the ground surface

. The slowest waves, surface waves, arrive last. They travel only along the surface of the Earth. There are two types of surface waves: Love and Rayleigh waves.

What causes the velocity of seismic waves to change quizlet?

seismic waves, which change speed and direction when they encounter different materials. … There is an abrupt increase in velocity of P-waves at this point due to

the change in density from crust to mantle

. S/P waves usually travel in a direct path through. the earth’s mantle.

What do P waves do when they hit the Earth’s liquid interior layer?

What do P waves do when they hit the earth’s liquid interior layer? …

The P waves exit at some point on the other side of the Earth

. Seismographs on the other side of the planet record these waves. Scientists know that S waves do not penetrate liquid so they believe that the Earth’s outer core must be liquid.

What causes the abrupt change in both P wave and S wave velocities with increasing depth?


Refraction

. … Refraction has an important affect on waves that travel through Earth. In general, the seismic velocity in Earth increases with depth (there are some important exceptions to this trend) and refraction of waves causes the path followed by body waves to curve upward.

David Evans
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David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.