The seismic waves that cause the majority of damage in earthquakes are the surface waves of which there are two types.
Surface waves have high amplitudes (which in turn means they have a large amount of energy).
These high amplitude surface waves cause surface deformations. Rayleigh waves are very similar to the waves you would see on the surface of water. Love waves are surface shear waves and are similar to the waves you would get if you stretched out a slinky spring then shook one end from side to side.
These surface movements create large torsional and shear stresses in buildings and building foundations which are far in excess of what the normal design tolerances would be. As such they are much more likely to cause failure of structures to occur. This is why, in earthquake prone areas such as California, the buildings must be designed to resist these special stresses created by seismic waves as well as the more normal loads caused by the wind and the structures self weight.
Please see the related links for more information on the differing types of surface waves.
They travel through different layers at different speeds
They are called surface waves.
Seismic waves are the waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within the earth or an explotion.
Seismic waves occur when there is an earthquake.
A seismic wave is created by a earthquake.
seismic waves
Seismic waves
Earthquake waves are called seismic waves.
Earthquake waves are called seismic waves.
Seismic waves are the waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within the earth or an explotion.
Seismic Waves
Seismic waves are the forms of energy produced by an earthquake.
No, It's Seismic Waves.
yes
Seismic waves are any waves that travel through the Earth. As such all earthquake waves are seismic waves, however not all seismic waves are caused by earthquakes.
Energy released during an earthquake creates seismic waves.
Seismic waves end at an earthquake's center.
seismic waves
Surface waves