Sound waves which travel on the surface of a solid in a manner similar to waves on a water surface are called

• A. Love Waves
• B. Rayleigh Waves
• C. Surface Waves
• D. Bulk Waves

Answer: (B)

The main idea is surface waves in a solid. Rayleigh waves travel along the surface with particle motion that combines vertical and horizontal displacement in a rolling, elliptical pattern, just like waves on a water surface. Their energy stays near the surface and fades with depth, which is a key feature of waves that appear to skim the boundary between two media. Love waves are also surface waves but move mainly as horizontal shear, lacking that water-like vertical motion. Bulk waves, by contrast, propagate through the interior of the material, not along the surface. So the described waves are Rayleigh waves.