Love wave

seismology

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June 30, 2026

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A Love wave is a type of seismic wave that travels along the surface of the Earth. These waves consist of horizontal, transverse vibrations. They are named after the British mathematician A.E.H. Love, who mathematically predicted their existence.12

Love waves are a type of surface wave, distinct from body waves (P and S waves) that travel within the Earth's interior. They propagate horizontally and cause the ground to move side-to-side. Love waves are known to travel faster than Rayleigh waves, another type of surface wave, and contribute significantly to the shaking felt during earthquakes, especially in alluvial basins.32

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Augustus Edward Hough Love
…a method—based on measurements of Love waves—to measure the thickness of the Earth’s crust. In addition to his work on geophysical theory, Love studied elasticity and wrote A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity, 2 vol. (1892–93).
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…a method—based on measurements of Love waves—to measure the thickness of the Earth’s crust. In addition to his work on geophysical theory, Love studied elasticity and wrote A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity, 2 vol. (1892–93).
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earthquake
Principal types of seismic waves
Love and Rayleigh waves are guided by the free surface of the Earth. They follow along after the P and S waves have passed through the body of the planet. Both Love and Rayleigh waves involve horizontal particle motion, but only the latter type has…
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Love and Rayleigh waves are guided by the free surface of the Earth. They follow along after the P and S waves have passed through the body of the planet. Both Love and Rayleigh waves involve horizontal particle motion, but only the latter type has…
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seismic wave
…the two surface seismic waves, Love waves—named after the British seismologist A.E.H. Love, who first predicted their existence—travel faster. They are propagated when the solid medium near the surface has varying vertical elastic properties. Displacement of the medium by the wave is entirely perpendicular to the direction of propagation and…
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…the two surface seismic waves, Love waves—named after the British seismologist A.E.H. Love, who first predicted their existence—travel faster. They are propagated when the solid medium near the surface has varying vertical elastic properties. Displacement of the medium by the wave is entirely perpendicular to the direction of propagation and…
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Earth exploration
Seismic refraction methods
Love waves are another type of surface wave; they involve shear motion. Still other varieties of surface waves can be transmitted through low-velocity layers (channel waves) or along the surface of a borehole (tube waves). Under certain circumstances (e.g., oblique incidence on an interface), waves…
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Love waves are another type of surface wave; they involve shear motion. Still other varieties of surface waves can be transmitted through low-velocity layers (channel waves) or along the surface of a borehole (tube waves). Under certain circumstances (e.g., oblique incidence on an interface), waves…
Read More