A long delay between the arrival of P-waves and S-waves at a seismometer means that
A) the earthquake only produced P-waves.
B) the focus of the earthquake was very deep in the Earth's crust.
C) the seismometer is located far from the earthquake.
D) the earthquake had a very small displacement.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The delay between the arrival of P-waves and S-waves increases with distance from the earthquake's epicenter because P-waves (primary waves) travel faster than S-waves (secondary waves). A longer delay indicates that the seismometer is located farther from the earthquake.

A Long Delay Between the Arrival of P-Waves and S-Waves