DISCONTINUITIES IN EARTH

The study of earthquake waves passing through the body of the Earth has shown that the interior is not uniform; it consists of distinct shells separated by concentric discontinuities at which the velocities of the passing waves change. The two major discontinuities that are universally recognized are the

Mohorovii Discontinuity, which divides the Earths crust from its underlying mantle, and the WiechertGutenberg Discontinuity,
which separates the mantle from the core.

Mohorovicic Discontinuity:
In geology the word "discontinuity" is used for a surface at which seismic waves change velocity. One of these surfaces exists at an average depth of 8 kilometers beneath the ocean basin and at an average depth of about 32 kilometers beneath the continents. At this discontinuity, seismic waves accelerate. This surface is known as the Mohorovicic Discontinuity or often simply referred to as the "Moho". The Mohorovicic Discontinuity, or "Moho", is the boundary between the crust and the mantle. The Mohorovicic Discontinuity marks the lower limit of Earth's crust. It occurs at an average depth of about 8 kilometers beneath the ocean basins and 32 kilometers beneath continental surfaces. The Mohorovicic Discontinuity was discovered in 1909 by Andrija Mohorovicic , a Croatian seismologist. Mohorovicic realized that the velocity of a seismic wave is related to the density of the material that it is moving through. He interpreted the acceleration of seismic waves observed within Earth's outer shell as a compositional change within the earth. The acceleration must be caused by a higher density material being present at depth. The lower density material immediately beneath the surface is now commonly referred to as "Earth's crust". The higher density below the crust became known as "Earth's mantle".

GUTENBERG DISCONTINUITY: The Gutenberg discontinuity

occurs within Earth's interior at a depth of about 1,800 mi (2,900 km) below the surface, where there is an abrupt change in the seismic waves (generated by earthquakes or explosions) that travel through Earth. At this depth, primary seismic waves (P waves) decrease in velocity while secondary seismic waves (S waves) disappear completely. S waves shear material, and cannot transmit through liquids, so it is believed that the unit above the discontinuity is solid, while the unit below is in a liquid, or molten, form. This distinct change marks the boundary between two sections of the earth's interior, known as the lower mantle (which is considered solid) and the underlying outer core (believed to be molten). xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN P & S WAVES

P-waves are known as primary waves as they are recorded first by seismometers due to their higher speed of travel than S-waves (which are secondary waves as they reach the seismometer after the P-waves due to their lower speed of propagation through the earth. They both go through solid rock but only P waves go though gases and liquids, so P waves go through the mantle while S waves can't. A P-wave can penetrate through the entire earth, every level (mantle, crust, core) while the S-wave can only go through solid layers and not the outer core (which is a liquid). S-waves are transverse waves which move material from side to side (particle motion is normal to direction of travel) whereas P-waves are compression or longitudinal waves where particle motion is parallel to the direction of travel. P-waves are Primary waves initially released from the Focus of an earthquake. A P-wave is a longitudinal wave or a compression wave with the force applied in the direction that the wave is travelling.

These waves compress and expand and are called primary waves because they are the first waves to reach the seismometer. S-waves are secondary waves that vibrate in a transverse direction (from side and side as well as up and down). S-waves are not able to travel through liquids unlike P-waves. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BODY WAVES & SURFACE WAVES A body wave travels around in a circular path and a surface wave travels on the surface of earth. Body waves travel through the interior of the Earth. They follow raypaths refracted by the varying density and modulus (stiffness) of the Earth's interior. The density and modulus, in turn, vary according to temperature, composition, and phase. This effect is similar to the refraction of light waves. Surface waves are analogous to water waves and travel along the Earth's surface. They travel slower than body waves. Because of their low frequency, long duration, and large amplitude, they can be the most destructive type of seismic wave.