seismic wave

Scientists have increasingly observed how the rupturing of a fault during an earthquake can be even faster than the speed of another type of damaging seismic wave, theoretically generating energy on the level of a sonic boom.

Traditionally, it was thought that the rupturing of a fault moved slower than another type of damaging seismic wave, known as a shear wave.

The new analysis looked at seismic wave patterns from earthquakes that repeated in the same location between 1991 and 2023.

The shaking from one station to another can give scientists an idea of how fast a seismic wave travels between stations.

This "seismic velocity" is related to the structure of the Earth through which the seismic wave is traveling.