What distinguishes surface and body seismic waves?

Answer 1

Surface seismic waves travel along the surface of the Earth and include two types of waves, the Love wave and Rayleigh wave. Love waves have a horizontal motion that moves the ground side to side, while Rayleigh waves have a circular motion that causes the ground to move up and down and side to side. Surface waves are slower than body waves and are responsible for the majority of the damage caused by earthquakes.

Body seismic waves, on the other hand, travel through the interior of the Earth and include two types of waves, P-waves and S-waves. P-waves are primary waves that travel faster and are able to travel through solid and liquid materials, while S-waves are secondary waves that travel slower and can only travel through solid materials. Body waves are responsible for the initial shaking felt during an earthquake.