Question

Describe the movement and mechanical motion of seismic S waves

Answer 1

• S waves, or secondary waves, are the waves directly following the P waves.

• S waves travel in the same direction, but instead of being a compressive wave, they oscillate with a shearing behavior at right angles to the direction of motion.

• Also S waves will not travel through liquids like water, molten rock, or the Earth's outer core.

• In other words: S waves are more dangerous than P waves beacuse they have grater amplitude and produce vertical and horizontal motion of the ground surface