surface wave
Water's traveling disturbance
A surface wave travels along the boundary between two media rather than through either one.
In seismology, surface waves move along Earth's crust and cause the most destructive shaking during earthquakes.
In physics, ocean waves and ripples are surface waves traveling along the water-air interface.
Surface waves from the quake were felt hundreds of miles away.
Increase in size
- crestHighest point or tuft
- troughOpen container for animal feed
- whitecapFoam-topped ocean wave
- breakerWave that collapses shoreward
surf · ripple · undulation · chop · fetch · wavelength · period · shoaling
Seismic ground movement
- tremorInvoluntary rhythmic shaking
- seismologyStudy of ground tremors
- epicenterPoint above seismic origin
- faultImperfection or blame
aftershock · seismograph · seismometer · magnitude · liquefaction · foreshock · intensity · tectonics
Repeated back-and-forth movement
- frequencyRate of recurrence
- amplitudeMaximum oscillation displacement
- wavelengthSpatial repetition interval
- propagationAct of spreading widely
resonance · harmonic · periodic · dispersion · interference · diffraction · refraction · attenuation
Inaudible high-frequency waves
- transducerEnergy form converter
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- piezoelectricCharge from deformation
- attenuationGradual intensity reduction
resonator · filter · sensor · signal processing · interdigital · frequency response
swell
Increase in size
breaker · surf · ripple · undulation · chop · fetch · wavelength · period · shoaling · refraction
earthquake
Seismic ground movement
- tremorInvoluntary rhythmic shaking
- seismologyStudy of ground tremors
- epicenterPoint above seismic origin
fault · aftershock · seismograph · seismometer · magnitude · liquefaction · foreshock · intensity · tectonics · subduction
oscillation
Repeated back-and-forth movement
- frequencyRate of recurrence
- amplitudeMaximum oscillation displacement
- wavelengthSpatial repetition interval
propagation · resonance · harmonic · periodic · dispersion · interference · diffraction · refraction · attenuation · medium
ultrasound
Inaudible high-frequency waves
- transducerEnergy form converter
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- piezoelectricCharge from deformation
attenuation · resonator · filter · sensor · signal processing · interdigital · frequency response
- waveswavelength, ripples, wavefront, surf, tsunami
- radio wavesRF, AM, FM, radio spectrum, frequency modulation
- seismic activityearthquake, quake, tremor, aftershock, foreshock
- seismic waves
- sound wavesacoustic energy, wavelength, amplitude, frequency, hertz
- tectonicsplate tectonics, tectonic plates, tectonic plate, subduction, plate boundaries