Which type of seismic wave is a surface wave that causes the ground to shake in an elliptical motion, similar to rolling ocean waves?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Rayleigh waves are seismic surface waves that travel along the earth's crust, causing ground particles to move in an elliptical trajectory that mimics rolling ocean waves. Primary waves are body waves that compress and dilate the ground in a longitudinal direction, whereas Love waves move the ground from side to side in a horizontal plane. Seismic surface waves generally cause the most severe structural damage during large earthquakes because their energy decays much more slowly with distance than body waves.