What can the time lag between the first arrival of the P-wave and first arrival of the S-wave be used to determine?

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Answer 1 · 2016-02-02T06:13:42

Difference in arrival times between P and S waves can be used to determine the distance between the station and an earthquake.

Different waves each travel at different speeds and therefore arrive at a seismic station at different times.
Difference in arrival times between P and S waves can be used to determine the distance between the station and an earthquake.
By knowing how far away the quake was from three stations we can draw a circle around each station with a radius equal to its distance from the earthquake. The earthquake occurred at the point where all three circles intersect.