A seismic wave is a mechanical disturbance or energy packet that can propagate from point to point in the Earth. Seismic waves can be generated by a sudden release of energy such as an earthquake, volcanic eruption, or chemical explosion. There are several types of seismic waves, often classified as body waves, which propagate through the volume of the Earth, and surface waves, which travel along the surface of the Earth. Compressional and shear waves are the two main types of body wave and Rayleigh and Love waves are the most common forms of surface wave.
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Wu, X., Wu, RS. (2008). Seismic Wave Propagation. In: Havelock, D., Kuwano, S., Vorländer, M. (eds) Handbook of Signal Processing in Acoustics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30441-0_84
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