Question

What are the two main types of Seismic Waves?

Answer 1

Seismic waves:

• Seismic waves are created by the abrupt movement of elements within the Earth, such as fault slip during an earthquake.
• Seismic waves can be caused by volcanic eruptions, explosions, landslides, avalanches, and even flowing rivers.

Types of Seismic waves:

• Body waves:
  • Body waves are seismic waves that travel into the earth's interior, as opposed to surface waves, which travel near the earth's surface.
  • Body waves are P (compressional waves) and S waves (shear waves).
  • The earth shakes in different ways depending on the type of wave.
  • Body waves are low-amplitude, impulsive signals that travel through the mantle and core over a variety of routes at teleseismic distances.
• Surface waves:
  • A surface wave is a mechanical wave that propagates at the interface of two different mediums in physics.
  • Gravity waves on the surface of liquids, such as ocean waves, are a frequent example.
  • Gravity waves may also arise within liquids, for as at the interface of two fluids of differing densities.