A little background first.
When an earthquake wave arrives at a seismograph station, the first wave to hit is called the P wave. The second is called the S wave.
It turns out that the P wave is a compression wave and the S wave is a shear wave. A compression wave is a direct shove (or tug) parallel to the direction the wave is traveling. A shear wave is a side-to-side shake at right angles to the direction the wave is traveling; transverse to the travel direction, in other words. Therefore the S wave is also known as a transverse wave.
The letters P and S actually come from the Latin for First and Second, "primus" and 'secundus." The English "primary" and "secondary" doesn't quite have the same meaning, but it will help you remember which arrives when. "Push" and "Shear" or "Shake" will help you remember which kind of wave has which kind of motion.
The time between the P and S wave occurs because the compression wave travels through the Earth faster than the shear wave does. Since the shear wave is slower, the further you are from the epicenter of the earthquake the longer the time between the P and S waves. Seismologists use this to determine how far the epicenter was from the seismograph. And by using distances from three or more seismometer stations at once, they can find the earthquake's epicenter.
Another neat thing about the P and S waves is that a compression wave will go through a fluid like water or air, while a shear wave won't. Because S waves won't go through the outer layers of the Earth's core, we know that those layers are liquid.
P waves move along a horizontals path, expanding and contracting material.
A P-wave is also known as a compression or pressure wave.
P waves are called push-pull waves because the move along a horizontal path. As they do this, they expand and contract material.
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P waves are primary waves and S waves are called secondary waves
P waves
when the P waves arrive at the surface in relation to s waves and surface waves is called the promary waves.
P waves go first, and are fastest. (Primary Waves). S waves go second, and are next fastest. (Surface Waves). Surface waves go last, and although slowest are also most destructive.
Primary waves as they travel like a worm, compressing and then expanding
P waves are primary waves and S waves are called secondary waves
seismic waves
P waves
when the P waves arrive at the surface in relation to s waves and surface waves is called the promary waves.
P waves go first, and are fastest. (Primary Waves). S waves go second, and are next fastest. (Surface Waves). Surface waves go last, and although slowest are also most destructive.
Longitudinal Waves
Primary waves as they travel like a worm, compressing and then expanding
They are given this name in seismology because they are the fastest travelling of the seismic body waves released by an earthquake. Because they are the fastest, they are detected by seismometer stations first. Hence P for primary wave.
Called Primary, or P, waves :3
When the P wave strikes the inner core it bends and goes in a different direction.
P-waves are longitudinal and S-waves are transverse waves.
P-waves are longitudinal and S-waves are transverse waves.