Question

List some characteristics of each type of seismic wave. Include what type of material (solids, liquids, or both) each can travel through. Primary wave: Secondary wave: Love wave: Rayleigh wave:

Answer 1

Answer:

The primary wave or the P wave is the fastest kind of seismic wave. These waves can travel through the fluids like the liquid or the water layers of the Earth, and solids rocks. It pulls and pushes the rock it moves through similar to the sound waves that pull and pushes the air. These waves are also called compressional waves, due to the pulling and pushing they do.  

The secondary wave is also known as the S wave is slower in comparison to a P wave, and possess the tendency to move through the solid rock, however, not through any kind of liquid medium. The characteristic of the S wave helped seismologists to conclude that the outer core of the Earth is a liquid. The S waves help in moving the particles of rock side to side perpendicular to the direction of the wave or up and down.  

The Love wave and Rayleigh waves are the two kinds of surface waves. These waves possess lower frequency in comparison to the P and S waves. Of the surface waves, the Love waves are the fastest surface wave and move the ground from side to side.  

On the other hand, a Rayleigh wave rolls around the ground similar to the rolling of the waves across an ocean or a lake. Both these waves only travel through a solid medium.