GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -S-waves can travel only through solids, because only solids have rigidity. S-waves cannot travel through liquids or gases. Because the earth’s mantle becomes more rigid as its depth below the asthenosphere increases, S-waves travel faster as they go deeper in the mantle.

Detailed explanation-2: -P waves travel through solid and liquid, but S waves do not travel through liquid.

Detailed explanation-3: -A P wave is a sound wave traveling through rock. In a P wave, the rock particles are alternately squished together and pulled apart (called compressions and dilatations), so P waves are also called compressional waves. These waves can travel through solids, liquids, and gases.

Detailed explanation-4: -P waves can pass through solids and liquids, so they are present on the other side of the Earth’s liquid core. S waves can only pass through solids, so they cannot pass through the core. This is why they are not present on the opposite side of the Earth to the earthquake.

Detailed explanation-5: -S-waves cannot travel through liquids. When they reach the surface they cause horizontal shaking. Liquids don’t have any shear strength and so a shear wave cannot propagate through a liquid. Think of a solid material, like a rock.