### Understanding Earthquakes: Key Concepts and Current Research #### Part A 1. **What causes the seismic waves experienced during an earthquake?** Seismic waves are caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that occurs when stress, which has built up over a long period, is finally released. This release of energy generates waves that travel through the Earth, creating the shaking observed during an earthquake. 2. **Explain why there is a pattern as to where earthquakes occur.** Earthquakes often occur along tectonic plate boundaries where plates collide (convergent boundaries), separate (divergent boundaries), or slide past each other (transform boundaries). These areas are prone to earthquakes because the movement of the plates creates stress that is eventually released as seismic waves. 3. **What is the difference between the focus of an earthquake and the epicenter?** The focus, also known as the hypocenter, is the point within the Earth where the earthquake rupture starts and energy is first released. The epicenter is the point directly above the focus on the Earth's surface and is often the location where the shaking is most intense. 4. **The energy released from an earthquake propagates as seismic waves. What is the difference between a P wave, an S wave, and a surface wave? Explain why they are recorded at different arrival times on the seismometer at a seismic monitoring station.** - **P waves (Primary waves)**: These are compressional waves that travel fastest through the Earth, moving particles in the same direction as the wave is propagating. They are the first to be detected by seismometers. - **S waves (Secondary waves)**: These are shear waves that move particles perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation and travel slower than P waves. They are recorded after P waves. - **Surface waves**: These waves travel along the Earth's surface and tend to cause more damage due to their high amplitude and lower frequency. They are recorded last as they travel slower than both P and S waves. #### Part B Visit this United State Geological Survey (USGS) site [USGS FAQs - Oklahoma Earthquakes](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/oklahoma-has-had-a-surge-earthquakes-2009-are-they-due-fracking) and then answer the following questions: 5. **Discuss some of the causes that the USGS believes are triggering the seismic activity in Oklahoma

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