A shallow- focus, large earthquake occurs directly under the South Pole. A seismic station at the North Pole would receive _________.
A) neither P waves nor S waves from the quake
B) both P waves and S waves from this quake separated in arrival times by two minutes
C) P waves from this quake but no S waves would be detected
D) S waves from this quake but not P waves

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

P waves, or primary waves, can travel through both solid and liquid layers of the Earth, allowing them to be detected at the North Pole after an earthquake at the South Pole. S waves, or secondary waves, cannot travel through the liquid outer core of the Earth, so they would not be detected at the North Pole from a quake at the South Pole.

A Shallow- Focus, Large Earthquake Occurs Directly Under the South