Seismologists, the experts who study earthquakes, have identified that surface waves are the primary cause of damage during an earthquake. These waves, which include both Love waves and Rayleigh waves, travel along the Earth's surface and are responsible for the most surface destruction. In contrast, body waves, which consist of P waves (primary waves) and S waves (secondary waves or shear waves), travel through the Earth's interior and arrive earlier than surface waves. While body waves can cause significant ground shaking, it is the surface waves that typically result in the most visible damage to structures and the environment. read more >>

Surface waves, in contrast to body waves can only move along the surface. They arrive after the main P and S waves and are confined to the outer layers of the Earth. They cause the most surface destruction. Earthquake surface waves are divided into two different categories: Love and Rayleigh.read more >>