question: What type of waves transmit the energy of an earthquake?
distractor3: volcanic waves
distractor1: tectonic waves
distractor2: sonic waves
correct_answer: seismic waves
support: An earthquake is sudden ground movement. This movement is caused by the sudden release of the energy stored in rocks. An earthquake happens when so much stress builds up in the rocks that the rocks break. An earthquake’s energy is transmitted by seismic waves. Each year, there are more than 150,000 earthquakes strong enough to be felt by people. An amazing 900,000 are recorded by seismometers.