The three types of waves, P,S,L
Push Waves (Primary)
Push waves are the first waves to
arrive (can go 25,000 Kph) and are compression waves. As you can see in Fig. 1, P waves are like sending a wave through a
slinky (compresses in a spot and travels to the other side) these waves can travel through solids or liquids. These waves
do not create much movement of rock, therefore not causing much damage.
Shake or shear waves (Secondary)
S waves appear second and travel
much like waves on water, swaying up and down and side to side (Fig.2). These waves are felt more than P waves, but travel
slower. These are still not the most damaging waves.
Surface Waves (Last)
These are the last waves to appear from
an earthquake and are rolling waves, causing the most damage. These waves are emitted from the epicenter and are surface waves. In high magnitude earthquakes, the ground has been seen to roll up and down in waves.
