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- Dictionaryseismic wave
noun
- 1. an elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means.
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Apr 11, 2020 · Seismic waves are energy waves that are generated by an earthquake or explosion and propagate within the Earth or on its surface. Learn about the two types of seismic waves: body waves and surface waves, and how they differ in motion, speed, and destructiveness.
A seismic wave is a mechanical wave of acoustic energy that travels through the Earth or another planetary body. It can result from an earthquake (or generally, a quake), volcanic eruption, magma movement, a large landslide and a large man-made explosion that produces low-frequency acoustic energy.
The study of seismic waves provides evidence for the internal structure of the Earth, which otherwise cannot be observed directly. Seismic waves from large earthquakes are...
Sep 17, 2024 · Seismic wave, vibration generated by an earthquake, explosion, or similar energetic source and propagated within the Earth or along its surface. Earthquakes generate four principal types of elastic waves; two, known as body waves, travel within the Earth, whereas the other two, called surface.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- P-waves
- S-waves
- Surface Waves
P-waves, also known as primary waves or pressure waves, travel at the greatest velocity through the Earth. When they travel through air, they take the form of sound waves – they travel at the speed of sound (330 ms-1) through air but may travel at 5000 ms-1 in granite. Because of their speed, they are the first waves to be recorded by a seismograph...
S-waves, also known as secondary waves, shear waves or shaking waves, are transverse waves that travel slower than P-waves. In this case, particle motion is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. Again, imagine a slinky partially stretched, except this time, lift a section and then release it, a transverse wavewill travel along the len...
Surface waves are similar in nature to water waves and travel just under the Earth’s surface. They are typically generated when the source of the earthquake is close to the Earth’s surface. Although surface waves travel more slowly than S-waves, they can be much larger in amplitudeand can be the most destructive type of seismic wave. There are two ...
2 days ago · earthquake, any sudden shaking of the ground caused by the passage of seismic waves through Earth’s rocks. Seismic waves are produced when some form of energy stored in Earth’s crust is suddenly released, usually when masses of rock straining against one another suddenly fracture and “slip.”
Seismic waves are the energy of earthquakes that travel through the Earth's interior and surface. Learn about different types of seismic waves, how they move, and how scientists use them to study the Earth's structure.
