Question

Why do waves that travel through basalt have a higher velocity than a wave traveling through sand?

Answer 1

Answer:

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Explanation:

Even though the technology does not exist to travel into all of Earth’s layers, scientists can still learn a great deal about Earth’s structure through seismic waves. Seismic waves are vibrations in the earth that transmit energy and occur during seismic activity such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and even man-made explosions. There are two types of seismic waves, primary waves and secondary waves. Primary waves, also known as P waves or pressure waves, are longitudinal compression waves similar to the motion of a slinky (SF Fig. 7.1 A). Secondary waves, or S waves, are slower than P waves. The motion of secondary waves is perpendicular to the direction of the wave travel, similar to the motion of vigorously shaking a rope