P-wave

See also: P wave

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From p(rimary) + wave.

Noun

P-wave (plural P-waves)

  1. (geology, seismology) A longitudinal compressional wave produced by an earthquake.
    • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society 2011, p. 71:
      P-waves are the first to arrive; that is, they travel fastest. These are ‘push-pull’ waves analogous to sound waves, in which each particle moves back and forth as the waves propagate.

Synonyms

See also
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.