Explaining Waves – Imaging the Mantle

As seismologists we use Earthquake waves to “see” inside the Earth, like a doctor uses X-rays to “see” inside your body. We map where waves travel fast and slow, or bounce off different material to learn about what’s going on inside the Earth.

Pick a layer of the Earth, by clicking on the buttons below, to watch a movie and see which seismic waves we use to study this region.

Click on another section the Earth above to see more seismic waves