Question

Which type of seismic waves produces the most severe ground movement?

Answer 1

The surface waves are the type of seismic waves that produce the most severe ground movement. This wave is slow in nature and so produces a rolling effect similar to a surface wave in a pond. This kind of wave is far more devastating than the P waves and the S waves. The surface waves have the capacity to shake a building from side to side until it collapses. This kind of wave moves in a pattern similar to a circle. It actually originates at a point and then start moving outwards in a circle.