asked 136k views
2 votes
What are seismic waves? Which seismic waves would you "feel" first?​

asked
User Gaellm
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

2 votes

Answer:

Seismic waves are waves that travel through the Earth's interior and cause the ground to shake. There are two main types of seismic waves: body waves and surface waves.

Body waves travel through the Earth's interior. The two types of body waves are P waves (primary waves) and S waves (secondary waves).

  • P waves are the fastest seismic waves and are the first to be felt during an earthquake. They are compressional waves, which means that they push and pull the ground in the direction of the wave's travel.
  • S waves are slower than P waves and are the second to be felt during an earthquake. They are sheer waves, which means that they move the ground side to side perpendicular to the direction of the wave's travel.

Surface waves travel along the Earth's surface. The two types of surface waves are Rayleigh waves and Love waves.

  • Rayleigh waves are the most common type of surface wave. They are like ripples on a pond, and they cause the ground to shake up and down and side to side.
  • Love waves are less common than Rayleigh waves, but they can be more destructive. They cause the ground to move horizontally in the direction of the wave's travel.

So, the seismic waves that you would feel first during an earthquake are the P waves.

These waves are the fastest and cause the ground to shake in the direction of the wave's travel.

answered
User Elielink
by
7.8k points

No related questions found

Welcome to Qamnty — a place to ask, share, and grow together. Join our community and get real answers from real people.