For the lowest-energy electronic wavefunction in atomic physics, see atomic orbital. For the S wave on an electrocardiogram, see QRS complex.
Part of a series on
Earthquakes
Types
Mainshock
Foreshock
Aftershock
Blind thrust
Doublet
Interplate
Intraplate
Megathrust
Remotely triggered
Slow
Submarine
Supershear
Tsunami
Earthquake swarm
Causes
Fault movement
Volcanism
Induced seismicity
Characteristics
Epicenter
Epicentral distance
Hypocenter
Shadow zone
Seismic waves
P wave
S wave
Measurement
Seismometer
Seismic magnitude scales
Seismic intensity scales
Prediction
Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction
Forecasting
Other topics
Shear wave splitting
Adams–Williamson equation
Flinn–Engdahl regions
Earthquake engineering
Seismite
Seismology
Earth Sciences Portal
Category
Related topics
v
t
e
Plane shear wave
Propagation of a spherical S wave in a 2d grid (empirical model)
In seismology and other areas involving elastic waves, S waves, secondary waves, or shear waves (sometimes called elastic S waves) are a type of elastic wave and are one of the two main types of elastic body waves, so named because they move through the body of an object, unlike surface waves.[1]
S waves are transverse waves, meaning that the direction of particle movement of an S wave is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation, and the main restoring force comes from shear stress.[2] Therefore, S waves cannot propagate in liquids[3] with zero (or very low) viscosity; however, they may propagate in liquids with high viscosity.[4][5]
The name secondary wave comes from the fact that they are the second type of wave to be detected by an earthquake seismograph, after the compressional primary wave, or P wave, because S waves travel more slowly in solids. Unlike P waves, S waves cannot travel through the molten outer core of the Earth, and this causes a shadow zone for S waves opposite to their origin. They can still propagate through the solid inner core: when a P wave strikes the boundary of molten and solid cores at an oblique angle, S waves will form and propagate in the solid medium. When these S waves hit the boundary again at an oblique angle, they will in turn create P waves that propagate through the liquid medium. This property allows seismologists to determine some physical properties of the Earth's inner core.[6]
^"S wave". US Geological Survey. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021.
^"Why can't S-waves travel through liquids?". Earth Observatory of Singapore. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
^Greenwood, Margaret Stautberg; Bamberger, Judith Ann (August 2002). "Measurement of viscosity and shear wave velocity of a liquid or slurry for on-line process control". Ultrasonics. 39 (9): 623–630. doi:10.1016/s0041-624x(02)00372-4. PMID 12206629.
^University of Illinois at Chicago (17 July 1997). "Lecture 16 Seismographs and the earth's interior". Archived from the original on 7 May 2002. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
areas involving elastic waves, Swaves, secondary waves, or shear waves (sometimes called elastic Swaves) are a type of elastic wave and are one of the two...
waves in 1911. They usually travel slightly faster than Rayleigh waves, about 90% of the Swave velocity. A Stoneley wave is a type of boundary wave (or...
the P wave. An R wave follows as an upward deflection, and the Swave is any downward deflection after the R wave. The T wave follows the Swave, and in...
body waves—the primary (P waves) and secondary waves (Swaves)—and surface waves, such as Rayleigh waves, Love waves, and Stoneley waves. A shock wave is...
A P wave (primary wave or pressure wave) is one of the two main types of elastic body waves, called seismic waves in seismology. P waves travel faster...
Gravitational waves are waves of the intensity of gravity that are generated by the accelerated masses of binary stars and other motions of gravitating...
electrocardiography, the T wave represents the repolarization of the ventricles. The interval from the beginning of the QRS complex to the apex of the T wave is referred...
seismic waves, which travel through rock with different velocities: Longitudinal P-waves (shock- or pressure waves) Transverse S-waves (both body waves) Surface...
seismic waves. S-wave refraction evaluates the shear wave generated by the seismic source located at a known distance from the array. The wave is generated...
of the Earth's surface where seismographs cannot detect direct P waves and/or Swaves from an earthquake. This is due to liquid layers or structures within...
The Honda Wave – also marketed as the Honda NF series (codename), Honda Innova in Europe, and Honda Supra in Indonesia – are a series of motorcycles manufactured...
of body waves, pressure waves or primary waves (P-waves) and shear or secondary waves (S-waves). P-waves are longitudinal waves that involve compression...
infrasonic waves traveling through the air. Linear elasticity Longitudinal wave Love wave P-wave Phonon S-wave Seismology Surface acoustic wave Telford,...
longitudinal waves, and surface waves. Some of the most common examples of mechanical waves are water waves, sound waves, and seismic waves. Like all waves, mechanical...
Longitudinal waves are waves in which the vibration of the medium is parallel to the direction the wave travels and displacement of the medium is in the...
The wave equation is a second-order linear partial differential equation for the description of waves or standing wave fields such as mechanical waves (e...
wave function (or wavefunction) is a mathematical description of the quantum state of an isolated quantum system. The most common symbols for a wave function...
An SKS wave is a type of seismic wave, with the three letters denoting the type of wave-motion through the mantle and outer core. The first S indicates...
San Diego Wave FC is an American professional women's soccer team based in San Diego, California, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)...
compressional (P-waves) while it absorbs the transverse or shear waves (S-waves). Outside the seismic shadow zone, both types of wave can be detected but...
Rayleigh waves (another type of surface wave). Love waves travel with a lower velocity than P- or S- waves, but faster than Rayleigh waves. These waves are...
finding in adults: QRS wave duration between 100 and 120 ms. rsr, rsR, or rSR in leads V1 or V2. Swave of longer duration than R wave or greater than 40...
South Hampshire and Dorset multiplexes, and online. News was provided by Wave 105's in-house local newsroom in conjunction with Sky News Radio. In recent...
Rogue waves (also known as freak waves, monster waves, episodic waves, killer waves, extreme waves, and abnormal waves) are unusually large and unpredictable...
Surface waves are caused when P waves and Swaves come to the surface. Examples are the waves at the surface of water and air (ocean surface waves). Another...
wave in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The Wave may refer to: The Wave (1981 film), a TV movie based on The Third Wave social experiment The Wave (2008...