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body waves which travel through the Earth and surface waves, which travel along the Earth's surface. Those waves that are the most destructive are the surface waves which generally have the strongest vibration.
Body waves
Body waves are of two types: compressional or primary (P) waves and shear or secondary (S) waves. P- and S- waves are called "body waves" because they can travel through the interior of a body such as the Earth's inner layers, from the focus of an earthquake to distant points on the surface. The Earth’s molten core can only be travelled through by compressional waves.
P-waves travel fastest, at speeds between4–8 km/sec (14,000–28,000 km/h) in the Earth's crust. S-waves travel more slowly, usually at2.5–4 km/sec (9000–14,000 km/h). Sound waves are usually called P-waves and are heard but not often felt. Except in the most powerful earthquakes they generally do not cause much damage. P-waves shake the ground in the direction they are propagating, while S-waves shake perpendicularly or transverse to the direction of propagation (i.e. they displace material at right angles to their path).
The P-wave is the first to arrive at a location, as it is the fastest. The P wave, or compressional wave, ultimately compresses and expands material in the same direction it is travelling. The next to arrive is the S wave which causes particles to oscillate. S waves can travel through solid material but not through liquid or gas.
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