Kroppsvågorna

Kroppsvågorna is a Swedish term that translates to "body waves" in English. It refers to seismic waves that travel through the Earth's interior. There are two main types of body waves: primary waves (P-waves) and secondary waves (S-waves). P-waves are compressional waves, meaning they move particles back and forth in the same direction as the wave is traveling. They are the fastest seismic waves and can travel through solids, liquids, and gases. S-waves, on the other hand, are shear waves. They move particles perpendicular to the direction of wave travel. S-waves are slower than P-waves and can only travel through solids. The behavior of P-waves and S-waves as they pass through different layers of the Earth provides crucial information about its internal structure. For example, the fact that S-waves cannot travel through the Earth's outer core is strong evidence that it is liquid. Scientists study the arrival times and amplitudes of these body waves at seismograph stations around the world to map out the Earth's interior, including the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.