seismic waves

• body waves


  travel through earth's interior
• two types of body waves

  primary waves

  secondary waves
• primary waves

  • travel the fastest
  • first to be detected by seismographs
  • moves in a push-pull motion
  • moves through both solid and liquid layers of earth
• secondary waves

  • slower
  • moves in a shear (side-to-side) motion
  • only travels through solid materials
• surface waves


  travel along earth's surface
• two types of surface waves

  rayleigh waves

  love waves
• love waves

  • cause horizontal shearing of the ground
  • faster than rayleigh but slower than body waves
  • doesn't move through water
• rayleigh waves

  • cause both horizontal and vertical ground movement
  • most damaging type of seismic waves
  • slower than love waves
• two types of seismic waves

  body waves

  surface waves