GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Of the two types of surface waves, the L-waves are the most destructive. They can literally move the ground beneath a building faster than the building itself can respond, effectively shearing the base off of the rest of the building.

Detailed explanation-2: -Rayleigh waves cause both vertical and horizontal ground motion. These can be the most destructive waves as they roll along lifting and dropping the ground as they pass.

Detailed explanation-3: -As their name suggests, surface waves travel just below the surface of the ground. Although they move even more slowly than S-waves, they can be much larger in amplitude and are often the most destructive type of seismic wave.

Detailed explanation-4: -It is the surface waves which cause most property damage because surface waves produce more ground movement and travel more slowly, so they take longer to pass.

Detailed explanation-5: -Because the amplitude of surface waves diminishes less rapidly with distance than the amplitude of P or S waves, surface waves are often the most important component of ground shaking far from the earthquake source, thus can be the most destructive.