These waves are of two main types:
* Body waves: These travel through the Earth's interior.
* P-waves (primary waves): These are compressional waves that travel the fastest and are the first to arrive at a seismograph. They can travel through solids, liquids, and gases.
* S-waves (secondary waves): These are shear waves that travel slower than P-waves and can only travel through solids.
* Surface waves: These travel along the Earth's surface.
* Love waves: These are horizontal shear waves that cause the ground to move side to side.
* Rayleigh waves: These are a combination of compressional and shear waves that cause the ground to move in an elliptical pattern.
It's the combination of these seismic waves that we feel as vibrations during an earthquake. The intensity of these vibrations is what determines the severity of the earthquake.
