Which statement about seismic waves is true?
A)Only S waves can travel through liquid.
B)P waves travel faster, and thus arrive sooner than do the S waves.
C)In the shadow zones, neither type is observed.
D)S waves can travel though the outer core, but P waves cannot.
E)On the far side of the Earth, only the S waves on the surface can be detected.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

P waves travel faster than S waves, which means they arrive at a seismograph station before S waves do. This difference in arrival times can be used to determine the distance to the earthquake's epicenter. P waves travel faster than S waves, so they will arrive at a given point sooner than S waves. This allows seismologists to determine the distance of the earthquake's epicenter from a seismograph station based on the difference in arrival times between P and S waves.

Which Statement About Seismic Waves Is True