Table of Contents
Which type of seismic wave travels the fastest?
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.
Which seismic wave travels the fastest through solid rock?
P-waves
There are two types of body waves: P-waves travel fastest and through solids, liquids, and gases; S-waves only travel through solids. Surface waves are the slowest, but they do the most damage in an earthquake.
What type of seismic wave causes rock particles to move together and apart?
S waves
Secondary waves (also called shear waves, or S waves) are another type of body wave. They move a little more slowly than P waves, and can only pass through solids. As S waves move, they displace rock particles outward, pushing them perpendicular to the path of the waves.
Why P wave travels faster than S wave?
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. P-waves are compression waves that apply a force in the direction of propagation.
What do S waves travel through?
Unlike P waves, S waves can travel only through solid materials. After both P and S waves have moved through the body of Earth, they are followed by surface waves, which travel along Earth’s surface. Surface waves travel only through solid media.
What is the fastest type of wave?
They travel through the interior and near the surface of the Earth. P-waves, or primary waves, are the fastest moving type of wave and the first detected by seismographs. They are also called compressional or longitudinal waves, and push and pull the ground in the direction the wave is traveling.
What electromagnetic wave travels the fastest quizlet?
Gamma rays travel faster than visible light. All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum. You just studied 16 terms!