Question

Explain why earthquakes provide indirect evidence about the layers of Earth? Use complete sentences to write your answer.

Answer 1

Earthquakes produce P and S waves. The P waves are fast and of a higher frequency than S waves. P waves reach a point first and can pass through liquid media while S waves reach after and the lose much of their energy while passing liquid media. This is because S-waves are shear waves and require rigid/inelastic media for transmission.

During an earthquake, there is usually a shadow zone (where there is no destruction because S-waves did not reach) formed right above the epicenter of the earthquake. This is due to the fact that the S-waves were unable to transit through the liquid inner core of the earth before reaching the earth's surface. Only P-waves are registered in this shadow zone.  

Answer 2

Answer:

With the help of the seismograph and the scale.

Explanation:

• Earthquakes do provide the indirect explanation to the layers of the earth as they occur in the waveforms and thus give us a close picture of the earth's interior and hence are essential for the formation of the landforms on the surface of the earth.

• Thus the tectonic forces that operate on the earth are guided by the convective forces and the convective current that comes out from the mantel and affect the lithospheric and the atmospheric layer of the earth.

• Hence the earthquake is indirectly providing the evidence of the rotational tin of the earth and highlight about the geologic history of the earth and the depth of the various layers on the planet and thus we know about the planets discontinues that are a zone of the two hard surfaces that have gaps in them.