3 types of seismic waves
Sammy Lewis
3 Types of seismic waves
Primary waves
• Primary waves are waves that tear the top of the earth’s crust or
surface
• This is the fastest kind of seismic wave, and, consequently, the first to
'arrive' at a seismic station.
• The P (primary) wave can move through solid rock and fluids, like
water or the liquid layers of the earth.
Secondary waves
• Secondary waves cause the rocks they pass through to change in
shape.
• These waves are the second fastest traveling seismic waves (after
primary waves) and can travel through solids but not through liquids
or gases.
• Also called shear wave, S wave.
Surface waves
• In physics, a surface wave is a mechanical wave that propagates along
the interface between differing media.
• usually as a gravity wave between two fluids with different densities.
• A surface wave can also be an elastic (or a seismic) wave, such as with
a Rayleigh or Love wave.
Links to go to for more information
• http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/waves.html
• http://allshookup.org/quakes/wavetype.htm