how fast can an earthquake wave travel
An earthquake releases energy as shock waves, the so-called seismic waves, which ripple across the earth's surface. The seismic waves created as they move from the epicentre an earthquake vary. What is amazing is how fast they can travel: up to 2 miles per second in granite! Seismic waves can be classified into two basic types: body waves which travel through the Earth and surface waves, which travel along the Earth's surface.