S waves
are more dangerous than P waves because they have greater amplitude and produce vertical and horizontal motion of the ground surface. The slowest waves, surface waves, arrive last. They travel only along the surface of the Earth. There are two types of surface waves: Love and Rayleigh waves.
Are P waves or S waves more damaging?
Waves that emanate from the site of the quake inside the earth are called body waves. The first of these are known as P waves, for primary or pressure. … These travel at about half the speed of P waves, but
can be much more destructive
. S waves move the earth perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling.
Is P faster than S waves?
P waves travel fastest
and are the first to arrive from the earthquake. In S or shear waves, rock oscillates perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. In rock, S waves generally travel about 60% the speed of P waves, and the S wave always arrives after the P wave.
Why is P wave the fastest?
P-waves and S-waves are body waves that propagate through the planet. P-waves
travel 60% faster than S-waves on average because the interior of the Earth does not react the same way to both of them
. … The energy is thus less easily transmitted through the medium, and S-waves are slower.
Which wave is the strongest?
Seismic waves can be classified into two basic types: body waves which travel through the Earth and
surface waves
, which travel along the Earth’s surface. Those waves that are the most destructive are the surface waves which generally have the strongest vibration.
Where do P-waves travel the fastest?
Because the
earth’s mantle
becomes more rigid and compressible as the depth below the asthenosphere increases, P-waves travel faster as they go deeper in the mantle. The density of the mantle also increases with depth below the asthenosphere. The higher density reduces the speed of seismic waves.
What wave causes the most damage?
Answer and Explanation:
Surface waves
are the seismic waves that cause the most damage. Surface waves are named as such because they move along close to the surface of the Earth.
What is the relationship between S and P waves?
P waves travel fastest and are the first to arrive from the earthquake. In S or shear waves,
rock oscillates perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation
. In rock, S waves generally travel about 60% the speed of P waves, and the S wave always arrives after the P wave.
Do Love or Rayleigh waves cause more damage?
Love waves cause more damage than Rayleigh waves
, but both are highly destructive because they occur near the surface of the Earth.
What does the P stand for in P wave?
Compressional waves are also called P-Waves, (P stands for
“primary”
) because they are always the first to arrive.
What does S waves stand for?
An S wave, or
shear wave
, is a seismic body wave that shakes the ground back and forth perpendicular to the direction the wave is moving.
How do P waves travel?
P waves travel
through rock
the same way that sound waves do through air. That is, they move as pressure waves. When a pressure wave passes a certain point, the material it is passing through moves forward, then back, along the same path that the wave is traveling. P waves can travel through solids, liquids and gases.
Which wave is most destructive?
Of the two types of surface waves,
the L-waves
are the most destructive. They can literally move the ground beneath a building faster than the building itself can respond, effectively shearing the base off of the rest of the building.
What was the biggest wave?
The biggest wave that was ever recorded by humans was in
Lituya Bay on July 9th, 1958
. Lituya Bay sits on the Southeast side of Alaska. A massive earthquake during the time would trigger a megatsunami and the tallest tsunami in modern times. 1.4 How Did The Biggest Wave Ever Recorded Come About?
What is the biggest tsunami ever?
Lituya Bay, Alaska, July 9, 1958
Its over 1,700-foot wave was the largest ever recorded for a tsunami. It inundated five square miles of land and cleared hundreds of thousands of trees. Remarkably, only two fatalities occurred.
What causes wave?
Waves are
created by energy passing through water
, causing it to move in a circular motion. … Wind-driven waves, or surface waves, are created by the friction between wind and surface water. As wind blows across the surface of the ocean or a lake, the continual disturbance creates a wave crest.
