kärleksvågor

Kärleksvågor is a Swedish term that translates to "love waves" in English. This term primarily refers to a type of seismic wave, specifically a surface wave, that propagates along the Earth's surface. Love waves are characterized by their horizontal shearing motion perpendicular to the direction of propagation. They are generated by earthquakes and are often the last waves to arrive at a seismograph, but due to their shallow nature, they can cause significant surface damage.

The existence of Love waves was first predicted by the British mathematician Augustus Edward Hough Love in 1911. They are a result of the Earth's crust being layered, with the seismic wave traveling faster in the deeper layers than in the surface layers. This difference in velocity causes the wave to be refracted and trapped near the surface. While the term "love waves" has a specific scientific meaning in seismology, it is sometimes used metaphorically in popular culture to describe strong emotional currents or waves of affection, though this is not its primary or scientific definition.