Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

seismic waves

Cultural  
  1. In geology, shock waves in solid rock generated by earthquakes or underground explosions. (See seismology.)


Discover More

Seismic waves travel through the Earth and can be detected far from their source.

Most of our knowledge of the Earth's interior comes from studying seismic waves.

The measurement of seismic waves is also important in detecting underground nuclear tests.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Andrew’s humiliation makes it clear that, six years after Epstein’s death, the scandal continues to create seismic waves of social and political destruction.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

Shallow earthquakes are common in the country and are more destructive, as seismic waves have less of a distance to travel to the Earth's surface and therefore retain much of their power.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025

Geophysicist John Vidale noticed something striking while tracking the way seismic waves move from Earth’s crust through its core.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2024

To measure rotation in seismic waves from an earthquake or volcanic activity, the researchers developed a more complex gyroscope based on the Sagnac effect.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

When the first seismic waves reached the power plant at Fukushima Daiichi, fail-safe systems shut down the reactors.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland