P-wave

See also: P wave

English

Alternative forms

• P wave

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, published 2011, page 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

• seismic wave

See also

• S-wave