Hello, I am confused by some details about surface waves as well! :m:

1) How does surface waves affect the rocks through which they travel? I know that surface waves are a combination of P and S waves, so would they cause the ground to move BOTH horizontally and vertically and forced the rocks to move in many different directions?

2) http://www.darylscience.com/Demos/PSWaves.html
According to this web site, Love Waves causing the ground to move in a horizontal elliptical path ("surface circle", as the web site says), as oppsed to Rayleigh Waves which cause vertical elliptical path! Does it mean that L-wave does exactly the same thing as R-wave but only particles are moved horizontally?
However, the diagram in the bottom of the web site is not showing a "surface circle" paritcle motion, but straight arrows pointing in opposite horizontal directions...why? :confused:

Hello, I am confused by some details about surface waves as well! :m:

1) How does surface waves affect the rocks through which they travel? I know that surface waves are a combination of P and S waves, so would they cause the ground to move BOTH horizontally and vertically and forced the rocks to move in many different directions?

In general, there are 2 kinds of surface waves.

The "Love Wave" makes the rock move side-to-side and is the fastest wave.
"Rayleigh Waves" 'roll' along the ground. Think of it kind of like an ocean wave, it moves side-to-side and up-and-down.

So the Love Wave that travels above the ground make rock particles below it to move side-to-side, perpendicular to the direction of wave motion, instead of a "circular movement" like what the web site http://www.darylscience.com/Demos/PSWaves.html
says...

Is Love wave more destructive or Rayleigh wave?

So the Love Wave that travels above the ground make rock particles below it to move side-to-side, perpendicular to the direction of wave motion, instead of a "circular movement" like what the web site http://www.darylscience.com/Demos/PSWaves.html
says...

Is Love wave more destructive or Rayleigh wave?

According to this page, Love waves are the most destructive

http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/earthquakescience/eqscience4.html

they are the waves often responsible for the collapse of buildings

But Rayleigh wave moves slower than Love wave, wouldn't the slow-moving waves be more destructive, as do slow-moving S waves are more destructive than P waves?