GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The slowest (and latest to arrive on seismograms ) are surface waves, such as the L wave. L waves are named for the Cambridge mathematician A.E.H. Love who first described them. The surface waves are generally the largest recorded from an earthquake.

Detailed explanation-2: -Thus, if we look at a seismogram, we expect to see the first wave to arrive to be a P-wave (the fastest), then the S-wave, and finally, the Love and Rayleigh (the slowest) waves.

Detailed explanation-3: -P Waves. The first kind of body wave is the P wave or primary wave. It’s the fastest kind of seismic wave, and the first to arrive at a seismic station. P waves can move through solid rock and fluids, like water or the liquid layers of the Earth.

Detailed explanation-4: -Anomalously hot areas slow down seismic waves. Seismic waves move more slowly through a liquid than a solid. Molten areas within the Earth slow down P waves and stop S waves because their shearing motion cannot be transmitted through a liquid.

Detailed explanation-5: -Surface waves are the slowest, most destructive and have the highest amplitude. They travel along the surface of the planet between two different mediums (e.g. rock and air).