Seismic Slinky: Modeling P and S waves

Novice

How do seismic waves interact and move through the Earth?

Explore the characteristics of different types of seismic waves with a Slinky©! Explore seismic wave concepts and how they relate to real world situations. Earthquake early warning depends on the difference between the faster P wave and the slower S wave. The goal is for people to receive alerts before damaging shaking from the S-wave arrives. If you feel shaking or receive an alert, take a protective action such as 'Drop, Cover, and Hold On'.

Keypoints:

Learners will be able to:

  • Use the model as a tool to observe and understand seismic wave properties.
  • Describe the difference between P and S waves based on the direction of particle motion relative to the direction of propagation.
  • Understand that seismograms show characteristics of each type of seismic wave.