But wave arrivals to distant seismic stations have taught us that there are layers. How fast do seismic waves travel? More importantly for our purposes, P waves travel faster through denser rock, slower through less dense rock. Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through the Earth's layers, and are a result of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, magma movement, large landslides and large man-made explosions that give out low-frequency acoustic energy. If there were no changes with depth, seismic waves would travel a straight path to the other side of the Earth. The time it takes for seismic waves to arrive at seismic observatories allow scientists to locate the precise location of the earthquake that generated them. Seismic waves are fundamentally of two types, compressional, longitudinal waves or shear, transverse waves. As the vibration propagates, it loses energy and ultimately fades away. That is what makes light collect in a magnifying glass, and that is also what makes seismic waves travel in curved paths through the Earth (because of the increasing pressure, materials are more dense towards the core, travel velocity of seismic waves increases). Refraction of seismic waves causes them to curve away from a direct path. Waves that travel through deeper layers are called body waves. The first kind of body wave is the P wave or primary wave. The first is that P waves travel faster than S waves. When that stress is released we get an earthquake. There are instruments throughout the world that detect earthquakes called seismometers and seismographs. The different zones affect how seismic waves travel. This is the reason they are referred to as primary waves, as they are the first seismic waves to arrive at a seismic station. Body waves travel through the inside of the earth and surface waves travel along the surface of the earth. They travel only along the surface of the Earth. Seismic waves are vibrations (waves of energy) generated by earthquakes. The point on the surface of the Earth at which a seismic wave first hits is called the epicenter. It's complicated... Earthquakes radiate energy (in what we see as S and P waves) as both body and surface waves. There are two types of surface waves: Love and Rayleigh waves. These cause most of the damage associated with earthquakes. Surface waves generated by a powerful earthquake can travel several times around the world. The epicenter is directly above the focus. A depiction of different seismic waves propagating through the Earth. waves of energy) generated by earthquakes. Seismic wave, vibration generated by an earthquake, explosion, or similar energetic source and propagated within the Earth or along its surface. Seismic waves are of two types the P waves and the S waves. Materials with zero rigidity – i.e., fluids – do not carry shear waves at all. The location at which the stress built up and then released is called the focus. Types of wave. As they travel through rock, the waves move tiny rock particles back and forth -- pushing them apart and then back together -- in line with the direction the wave is traveling. More importantly for our purposes, P waves travel faster through denser rock, slower through less dense rock. Seismic waves are of two types the P waves and the S waves. This also revealed that the inner core is solid, as S waves appear to be able to pass through it.. Seismic waves travel from the focus outwards in all directions. The most powerful seismic waves, generated by the most powerful earthquakes, can go around the Earth for several days. Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through the Earth's layers, and are a result of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, magma movement, large landslides and large man-made explosions that give out low-frequency acoustic energy.