GEOLOGY

EARTH SCIENCE

TECTONICS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What are the fastest earthquake waves?
A
P waves
B
T waves
C
S waves
D
Q waves
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -P waves travel fastest and are the first to arrive from the earthquake. In S or shear waves, rock oscillates perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. In rock, S waves generally travel about 60% the speed of P waves, and the S wave always arrives after the P wave.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -S waves are more dangerous than P waves because they have greater amplitude and produce vertical and horizontal motion of the ground surface. The slowest waves, surface waves, arrive last. They travel only along the surface of the Earth. There are two types of surface waves: Love and Rayleigh waves.

Detailed explanation-4: -The P wave propagates with a velocity of about six kilometers per second in rock, while the S wave is slower at four kilometers per second.

Detailed explanation-5: -P waves, or primary waves, arrive first while S waves, or secondary waves, arrive second. Both waves cause the ground to shake when an earthquake occurs.

There is 1 question to complete.