seismic wave

noun

1. a wave of energy that is generated by an earthquake or other earth vibration and that travels within the earth or along its surface.

seismic wave

noun

1. an earth vibration generated by an earthquake or explosion

Word History and Origins

Origin of seismic wave¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Most of the shaking that we think of as an earthquake is caused by a category of seismic wave known as surface waves, which roil Earth’s crust, taking everything on it for a ride.

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Scientists have increasingly observed how the rupturing of a fault during an earthquake can be even faster than the speed of another type of damaging seismic wave, theoretically generating energy on the level of a sonic boom.

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Traditionally, it was thought that the rupturing of a fault moved slower than another type of damaging seismic wave, known as a shear wave.

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The new analysis looked at seismic wave patterns from earthquakes that repeated in the same location between 1991 and 2023.

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The shaking from one station to another can give scientists an idea of how fast a seismic wave travels between stations.

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