What is the main types of seismic waves?

1 Answer

1. GeologyHub

   2023-08-27T17:25:22+00:00Added an answer on August 27, 2023 at 5:25 pm

   Seismic waves are categorized into three main types based on their motion and propagation:   Primary waves (P-waves): These are the fastest seismic waves and travel through both solids and liquids. P-waves cause particles to move in the same direction as the wave's propagation, resulting in a bRead more

   Seismic waves are categorized into three main types based on their motion and propagation:

    

   Primary waves (P-waves): These are the fastest seismic waves and travel through both solids and liquids. P-waves cause particles to move in the same direction as the wave’s propagation, resulting in a back-and-forth compressional motion. They are responsible for the initial, less intense shaking during an earthquake.

    

   Secondary waves (S-waves): S-waves are slower than P-waves and only travel through solids. They cause particles to move perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation, producing a side-to-side shearing motion. S-waves are responsible for the more intense shaking felt during an earthquake.

    

   Surface waves: These waves travel along the Earth’s surface and are slower than both P-waves and S-waves. Surface waves are responsible for the most damaging and prolonged shaking during an earthquake. There are two types of surface waves:

   • Love waves: These cause horizontal shearing motion in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
   • Rayleigh waves: These produce an elliptical, rolling motion in the vertical plane parallel to the direction of propagation, causing the ground to move in an elliptical path.

   These seismic waves play a crucial role in our understanding of earthquakes and the Earth’s internal structure.

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