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juju · 11-27-2002, 12:56 PM

I also neglected to mention that when seismic waves go through a material that is a different density than the one it was traveling through before, it refracts the waves, sort of like water refracts light. So that's how they know what the different layers of the Earth are like. Somehow they can calculate the angle of the refraction and figure the density of the new kind of rock.

Also, this same technology is used for detecting oil deposits.

11-27-2002, 12:56 PM	#16
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	I also neglected to mention that when seismic waves go through a material that is a different density than the one it was traveling through before, it refracts the waves, sort of like water refracts light. So that's how they know what the different layers of the Earth are like. Somehow they can calculate the angle of the refraction and figure the density of the new kind of rock. Also, this same technology is used for detecting oil deposits. Last edited by juju; 11-27-2002 at 12:59 PM.