EARTHQUAKE

Seismic Waves
These are the waves of energy caused by the

sudden breaking of rock within the earth or an

explosion. They are the energy that travels

through the earth and recorded on

seismographs.
Types Seismic Waves
Body waves -
arrive before the surface waves emitted by an earthquake. These
waves are of a higher frequency than surface waves.

Surface waves(L-Waves) -
are of a lower frequency than body waves, and are easily
distinguished on a seismogram as a result. Though they arrive after
body waves, it is surface waves that are almost entirely responsible
for the damage and destruction associated with earthquakes. This
damage and the strength of the surface waves are reduced in
deeper earthquakes.
Body Waves
Primary Waves (push and pull)

Secondary Waves (side to side)

 Primary Waves
-are “compression waves”. They push and pull the rocks of

the earth's surface. They can move through solid rock and

fluids like water or the liquid core layers of the earth And

first to 'arrive' at a seismic station.

Primary waves 
-push and pull on the rocks through which they are

traveling. This creates a back and forth movement on the

Earth's surface. This is just like sound waves pushing and

pulling the air.

Have you ever heard a big clap of thunder and heard the

windows rattle at the same time? The windows rattle

because the sound waves were pushing and pulling on the

window glass much like P-waves push and pull on rock

 Secondary waves
travel slower than primary waves. Also called “shear waves

"or “Transverse Waves”. They create a side to side motion in

the rocks through which they are traveling.

 Secondary Waves
Unlike the other earthquake waves, S-waves cannot travel

through water or the liquid rock of the Earth's core layer.

They can Travel through solid only-waves will rock buildings

side- to-side.
 Surface Waves(L-Waves)
-Moves along the surface of the earth’s

surface. They move up and down.

Love Waves and Raleigh Waves

 Surface Waves(L-Waves)
Land waves move along the surface of the earth

and cause it to move up and down like something

bobbing on the surface of the ocean.

 Surface Waves(L-Waves)
Land waves only move along the surface of the earth.

Their speeds vary depending on the material, rock or

soil, forming the surface.

These waves cause the surface to move up and down.

These are the waves that cause The to buildings and

other structures during an earthquake.

Named after A.E.H. Love, a British mathematician who

worked out the mathematical model for this kind of wave in

1911.

Love waves- travel with a lower velocity than P or S waves,

but faster than Rayleigh waves. These waves travels in

lithosphere only.
These waves are a type of surface acoustic wave that travel

on solids Rayleigh Waves Named for John William Strutt, Lord

Rayleigh, who mathematically predicted the existence of this

kind of wave in 1885. Rolls along the ground just like a wave

rolls across a lake or an ocean

Because it rolls, it moves the ground up and down, and

side-to-side in the same direction that the wave is moving.

Most of the shaking felt from an earthquake is due to the

Rayleigh wave, which can be much larger than the other

waves.
 Remember...
Love Waves travels through lithosphere only. Has Low

Velocity but faster than Rayleigh waves.

Rayleigh Waves travel on solids and Rolls along the ground