Name______________________________________ Period ________
Earthquakes-How to use ESRT p.11
Scientific Notation
Scientific Notation:
What it means:
1x102
1x10x10
1x10-2
1x_1_
10x10
Number:
1x103
1x104
So…what do the following numbers mean?
1. 3.2x103 = ________________________
2. 1.3x103 = ________________________
3. 6.7x103 = ________________________
p.11 of your ESRT
4. Look at the x-axis. What does each line represent on the x-axis? ____________________________
5. Look at the y-axis. What does each line represent on the y-axis? ____________________________
Travel Time (min)
Using the Earthquake P-wave and S-wave Travel Time Graph…These start easy and get more difficult.
Type 1 Problem (Finding Travel Time)
6. How long would it take a P-wave to arrive at a seismic station if the station is 2000km from the
epicenter of an earthquake? ____________________________
Explain how you do this type of problem:
7. How long would it take a P-wave to arrive at a seismic station if the station is 8000km from the
epicenter of an earthquake? ____________________________
8. How long would it take an S-wave to arrive at a seismic station if the station is 2000km from the
epicenter of an earthquake? ____________________________
Type 2 Problem
9. If it took a P-wave 6 minutes to arrive at a seismic station, how far are you from the epicenter of an
earthquake? __________________________________
Explain how you do this type of problem:
10. If it took an S-wave 8 minutes to arrive at a seismic station, how far are you from the epicenter of an
earthquake? __________________________________
11. If it took a P-wave 9 minutes to arrive at a seismic station, how far are you from the epicenter of an
earthquake? __________________________________
Type 3 Problem
12. What is the difference in time between the P and S wave if you are 2000km from the epicenter of an
earthquake? ____________________________
Explain how you do this type of problem:
13. What is the difference in time between the P and S wave if you are 8000km from the epicenter of an
earthquake? ____________________________
14. What is the difference in time between the P and S wave if you are 4000km from the epicenter of an
earthquake? ____________________________
Time Math
In order to calculate time differences between P and S waves, you must be able to subtract time properly.
Remember, there are 60 seconds in a minute, NOT 100! Try these:
1.
2.
3.
10:09:50
9:45:10
3:15:33
-10:08:25
-9:25:10
-3:14:43
5.
6.
7.
4:15:27
1:24:43
2:05:17
- 4:14:30
- 1:22:05
- 1:55:34
Type 4 Problem (Finding Epicenter Distance)
15. What is the epicenter distance if the difference in time between P-waves and S-waves is 3 minutes, 20
seconds? ______________________________
Explain how you do this type of problem:
16. What is the distance to the epicenter from a station where the P-waves arrived at 03:20:40 and the Swaves arrived 2 minutes later? __________________________
17. What is the distance to the epicenter if the P-waves arrived at 04:35:30 and the S-waves arrived at
04:38:10? ________________________
Type 5 Problem
18. A seismic station is 2000km from the epicenter of an earthquake. How long after the arrival of P-waves
did the S-waves arrive? ______________________________
Explain how you do this type of problem:
19. A seismic station is 5000km from the epicenter of an earthquake. How long after the arrival of P-waves
did the S-waves arrive? ______________________________
20. A seismic station is 8000km from the epicenter of an earthquake. How long after the arrival of P-waves
did the S-waves arrive? ______________________________
Type 6 Problem
21. A seismic station 2000km from the epicenter of an earthquake records the arrival of the first P-wave at
8:00:00 (8 o’clock am). At what time did the first S-wave arrive at this station?
_______________________________________
Explain how you do this type of problem:
22. A seismic station 5000 kilometers from the epicenter of an earthquake records the arrival time of the
first P-wave at 11:00:00 (11 o’clock am). At what time did the first S-wave arrive at this station?
_______________________________________
23. A seismic station 2000 kilometers from the epicenter of an earthquake records the arrival time of the
first P-wave at 1:00:00 (1 o’clock am). At what time did the first S-wave arrive at this station?
_______________________________________
Type 7 Problem (Finding Origin Time)
24. (travel BACK in time…) A seismograph station recorded the arrival of the first P-wave at 8:01pm from
an earthquake that occurred 4000km away. What time did the earthquake occur?
_______________________________________
Explain how you do this type of problem:
25. A seismograph station recorded the arrival of the first P-wave at 7:06am from an earthquake that
occurred 2000km away. What time did the earthquake occur?
_______________________________________
26. A seismograph station recorded the arrival of the first P-wave at 10:15:40am from an earthquake that
occurred 3000km away. What time did the earthquake occur?
_______________________________________