In the field of geophysics, particularly within the study of seismology, Love waves are a type of seismic wave that is characterized by their horizontal motion. They are named after the British mathematician and physicist Augustus Edward Hough Love who first described them. Love waves are also sometimes referred to as Q waves, with "Quer" being the German term for "lateral," which describes the lateral or horizontal movement of the ground during their propagation. Love waves are unique in that they are only present in the Earth's crust and do not travel through the Earth's core. They are transverse waves, meaning that the direction of the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. This is in contrast to P waves (primary or compressional waves), which are longitudinal and can travel through both the crust and the core. When an earthquake occurs, Love waves are generated and can cause significant damage due to their strong horizontal shaking. They generally arrive at seismic stations after P waves because they travel more slowly. The study of Love waves is crucial for understanding the dynamics of earthquakes and for developing methods to predict and mitigate the effects of seismic events. read more >>

In elastodynamics, Love waves, named after Augustus Edward Hough Love, are horizontally polarized surface waves. ... In seismology, Love waves (also known as Q waves (Quer: German for lateral)) are surface seismic waves that cause horizontal shifting of the Earth during an earthquake.read more >>