Lovevågor

Lovevågor, also known as Love waves, are a type of surface seismic wave. They are named after British mathematician Augustus Edward Hough Love, who first described them in 1911. Love waves are generated during earthquakes and travel along the Earth's surface, similar to Rayleigh waves.

The defining characteristic of Love waves is their particle motion. Unlike Rayleigh waves where particles move in an elliptical path, the motion in Love waves is purely horizontal and perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. Imagine a snake slithering across the ground; the side-to-side movement of the snake mirrors the particle motion of a Love wave.

These waves are typically faster than Rayleigh waves but generally slower than body waves (P-waves and S-waves) that travel through the Earth's interior. Love waves are destructive because their horizontal shearing motion can cause significant damage to structures by shaking them from side to side. The amplitude of Love waves decreases with depth into the Earth. Their study is crucial for seismologists in understanding earthquake behavior and predicting potential damage.