DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

SEISMIC WAVES
ØRadiated energy that passes through the Earth during and
after an earthquake are called seismic waves.
ØIn physics, there are two basic ways to classify waves (Both
are required to completely describe the wave type)

1 st Way: Based on where the wave is

traveling through/along
– Body wave: Motion through the interior
of the Earth
– Surface wave: Motion is along the
surface the Earth
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SEISMIC WAVES
2nd Way: Based on how particles are moved by the wave / how the
wave causes the material it is traveling through to deform
– Compressional (LONGITUDINAL) waves
• motion of particles is in the direction of the wave
• causes material to contract and extend
– Shear (TRANSVERSE) waves
• motion is perpendicular to wave direction
• causes material to shear

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SEISMIC WAVES
2nd Way: Based on how particles are moved by the wave / how the
wave causes the material it is traveling through to deform
– Compressional (LONGITUDINAL) waves
• motion of particles is in the direction of the wave
• causes material to contract and extend
– Shear (TRANSVERSE) waves
• motion is perpendicular to wave direction
• causes material to shear

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 BODY WAVE: P Waves

This is the fastest kind of seismic wave, and,

consequently, the first to 'arrive' at a seismic station.
The P wave can move through solid rock and fluids, like
water or the liquid layers of the earth. It pushes and
pulls the rock it moves through just like sound waves
push and pull the air.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
BODY WAVE: S Waves
S wave or secondary wave, which is the
second wave you feel in an earthquake. An S
wave is slower than a P wave and can only move
through solid rock, not through any liquid
medium. S waves move rock particles up and
down, or side-to-side--perpendicular to the
direction that the wave is traveling in (the
direction of wave propagation).
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 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
TYPES OF BODY WAVES
P WAVES
Compressional or longitudinal
waves
Particles move PARALLEL to the
direction of the wave (back and
forth)
Travels in both solid and liquid
particles
Fastest form of seismic waves and
first to arrive in the seismograph
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
S WAVES
Shearing or transverse waves
Particles move PERPENDICULAR to
the direction of the wave (left and
right)
Travels in solid particles only
Slower than the P-Waves, second
to arrive in the seismograph.
 oPrimary or P-waves
pass through liquid and
solid
oSecondary or S-waves
pass only through solid
and not through liquid.
ü P-waves travel faster than S-waves.
ü The time gap in the arrival of P-wave and S-wave can give the
estimate of the distance to the earthquake.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION