Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography, & More Earthquakes
Jan 8, 2026
Did you know that Earth experiences around 20,000 earthquakes every year? Most go unnoticed, but the ones that do strike can be devastating. The discussion dives into various types of seismic waves, including P, S, Love, and Rayleigh waves, and their unique movements. Listeners learn about the four types of earthquakes—tectonic, volcanic, collapse, and explosion. Furthermore, the podcast explores how earthquakes are measured, from the historical Richter scale to the modern Moment Magnitude Scale and the most earthquake-prone regions like the Ring of Fire.
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Seismic Waves Explain Shaking Variability
- Earthquakes are vibrations (seismic waves) caused mainly by geologic processes like plate movements.
- Different waves (P, S, Love, Rayleigh) move uniquely and explain why shaking varies by location and depth.
Plate Boundaries Determine Earthquake Type
- Plate tectonics locates most seismic activity at plate boundaries where faults form and slip.
- Convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries produce very different earthquake behaviors and risks.
Wave Types Predict Damage Patterns
- P waves are compressional and fastest, while S waves shear and only travel through solids.
- Love and Rayleigh surface waves decay with depth but often cause the worst infrastructure damage.