answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

technically any seismic wave can destroy a building, but the one most likely to do it are the surface waves

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

The Rayleigh wave which is a type of surface wave.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

The seismic waves which are most destructive to buildings are the surface waves which can be split into Love and Rayleigh waves.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

The Rayleigh wave which is one of the surface seismic waves.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

== ==

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Which earthquake waves are most destructive to buildings?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

Which earthquake waves do the most damage to surface structures and buildings?

Surface waves


Do P waves do the most destruction during and earthquake?

No, the S waves do, they are the most destructive, because they have a bigger ratio of Antinodes and nodes. AKA Destructive interference.


What waves is the slowest and most damaging capable of crumbling buildings of an earthquake?

welcome primary


Why are surface waves the most destructive waves?

Surface waves travel more slowly than body waves but are mor distructive. Most of the damage during an earthquake comes from surface waves which can literally shake the ground out from under a building.


Why can you feel an earthquake from far away from where it occured?

You can feel it because the waves of the earthquake are very destructive depending on the type of earthquake. The wave you might be feeling is the last wave of the earthquake which is the slowest, but the most powerful. Hope this helped! :)


What kind of earthquake waves does the most damage to buildings and structures?

P waves or pressure waves are the fastest traveling, and tend to be the primary waves to hit after an earthquake has begun. As such they tend to not be as destructive as the waves that follow. The most destructive waves tend to be the aftershock waves of an earthquake because the structural integrity of a building becomes comprimised by the main event of the earthquake causing it to not be able to withstand the after shocks despite the diminished seismic magnitude of the aftershock waves. The energy of all land based earthquakes are transmitted through the Earth's crust by seismic waves, (oceanic earth quakes tend to create oceanic tidal waves or tsunamis which can be very destructive as well) the force of which can be measured by a seismometer and recorded using the Richter magnitude scale which ranges from 2.0 (micro) to 10+ (epic). The amount of damage done to buildings, cities, and infrastructures depends entirely on the magnitude of the earthquake, their location relative to the epicenter of that earthquake, and the overall stability, structural integrity, and earthquake preparedness of that building, city or infrastructure. As an example, the recent tragic catastrophy in Haiti was devistating due not only to the fact that the earthquake was a magnitude 7 (major) on the Richtor magnitude scale but the structural integrity of many of the buildings was deteriorating and the infrastructure to respond to the damage caused by a major earthquake was not as well established and prepared as it could have been because of the level of poverty that the whole country suffers from. Because of those factors, the earthquake in Haiti was very destructive and catastrophic not only to the indevidual buidlings but to the national infrastructure as well, (meaning that the sea ports and airports were destroyed and are having a hard time receiving aid, and the first responders to the earthquake are not as prepared for a catastrophe of this magnitude as they could have been.) An earthquake of the same magnitude in a city like Las Angeles would probably not cause the same severity of trauma and destruction to the buildings and infrastructure of the city itself due to the earthquake preparedness of that region and the well established financial infrastructure and supporting networks of the region and surrounding states. For more information, please see the related links section of this answer page.


What are the least destructive seismic waves?

Well there not called earthquake waves. They are called "seismic waves." There are 3 types of them P- and S-waves. Also Surface waves, those are the most detructive ones. The _waves are the least destructive ones. They are the ones you feel right before a earthquake. I'm 11 just so u peoples know...................i sounded like a teacher huh....peace peoples!!!!! :)


What is the most destructive earthquake wave?

tsunami


Is seismic waves interference constructive or destructive?

destructive most of the time


Why are surface waves more destructive to buildings than p waves are so s waves are?

Although surface waves travel more slowly than S-waves, they can be much larger in amplitude and can be the most destructive type of seismic wave. There are two basic kinds of surface waves: Rayleigh waves, also called ground roll, travel as ripples similar to those on the surface of water.


Why was the death toll so high in the Haitian 2010 earthquake?

Haiti's a very congested country, there are small buildings and houses as far as the eye can see. A 7.0 earthquake would crush any small structures in it's vicinity. Plus there were at least 52 aftershocks ranging from 4.5 up.The earthquake was so destructive for a number of reasons:The earthquake occurred at shallow depth - this means that the seismic waves have to travel a smaller distance through the earth to reach the surface so maintain more of their energy.The earthquake occurred in close proximity to a populated area. This again means that there is very little attenuation of the seismic waves (i.e they still have most of their energy and so are more destructive when they arrive).The buildings in Port-Au-Prince and other areas of Haiti were in very poor condition in general and were not designed or constructed to be earthquake resistant.


In what state has the most destructive earthquake occurred?

California