Among the different types of earthquake waves, surface waves typically have the largest amplitudes or the largest range of motion. Surface waves are seismic waves that propagate along the Earth's surface and are responsible for most of the destructive effects associated with earthquakes.
There are two main types of surface waves:
Love waves: Love waves are horizontally polarized shear waves that move in a horizontal, side-to-side motion. They are named after the British mathematician A.E.H. Love, who mathematically described their motion. Love waves are the faster of the two surface waves and can cause significant horizontal shaking of the ground.
Rayleigh waves: Rayleigh waves are a combination of both vertical and horizontal motion. They cause the ground to move in an elliptical, rolling motion. Rayleigh waves are named after the British physicist Lord Rayleigh, who mathematically described their motion. Rayleigh waves are slower than Love waves but can produce larger ground displacements.
Both Love waves and Rayleigh waves tend to have longer wavelengths and larger amplitudes compared to the body waves (primary and secondary waves) that propagate through the Earth's interior. These surface waves travel along the Earth's surface, interacting with the topography and geological structures, which can amplify their amplitudes and result in significant shaking and damage during an earthquake.