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What does the behaviour of P and S waves tell geologists about the structure of the Earth's interior?
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What does the behaviour of P and S waves tell geologists about the structure of the Earth's interior? Vibrations are produced in the Earth's crust when rocks in which elastic strain has been building up suddenly rupture, and then rebound. The vibrations can vary from barely noticeable to catastrophically destructive. Earthquakes can release energy thousands of times greater than the world's first atom bomb. Six types of shock waves are generated in the process. Two are classified as body waves-that is, they travel through the Earth's interior-and the other four are surface waves. The waves are further differentiated by the kinds of motions they impart to rock particles. Primary or compressional waves (P waves) send particles oscillating back and forth in the same direction as the waves are travelling, whereas secondary or transverse shear waves (S waves) impart vibrations perpendicular to their direction of travel. P waves always travel at higher velocities...
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