A Rayleigh wave is a type of ground motion that occurs during an earthquake. It is a surface wave that moves along the ground surface, similar to how waves move across the surface of the ocean. These waves are characterized by both vertical and horizontal motion in a direction perpendicular to the wavefront, which is the line that connects the points of equal phase of the wave. Rayleigh waves are slower than body waves, which are the primary waves (P-waves) and secondary waves (S-waves) that travel through the Earth's interior. Among the different types of surface waves, Love waves are generally faster than Rayleigh waves. Love waves are characterized by horizontal motion only and do not cause vertical ground movement. read more >>

Like rolling ocean waves, Rayleigh waves wave move both vertically and horizontally in a vertical plane pointed in the direction in which the waves are travelling. Surface waves travel more slowly than body waves (P and S); and of the two surface waves, Love waves generally travel faster than Rayleigh waves.read more >>