How Do We Know What Earth's Outer Core Can Transmit Seismically Versus the Inner Core?

Context

Seismic waves generated by earthquakes can travel through the Earth's layers. The solid inner core can transmit both shear and compressional waves, while the liquid outer core can only transmit compressional waves. How do we know which waves are transmitted by each layer when all waves must pass through the inner core?

Simple Answer

  • Seismic waves are sound waves that travel through the Earth.
  • The inner core is solid and can transmit both shear and compressional waves.
  • The outer core is liquid and can only transmit compressional waves.
  • We can tell which waves are transmitted by each layer by looking at the way the waves travel.
  • The speed and direction of the waves tell us about the properties of the material they are traveling through.

Detailed Answer

Seismic waves are sound waves that travel through the Earth. They are generated by earthquakes, volcanoes, and other Earth processes.

Seismic waves travel through the Earth's layers in different ways depending on the properties of the material they are traveling through.

The inner core is solid and can transmit both shear and compressional waves. Shear waves are waves that cause the ground to shake from side to side, while compressional waves are waves that cause the ground to shake back and forth.

The outer core is liquid and can only transmit compressional waves. This is because shear waves require a solid medium to travel through.

We can tell which waves are transmitted by each layer by looking at the way the waves travel. The speed and direction of the waves tell us about the properties of the material they are traveling through.

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