Body waves travel through the inside of the earth's inner layer and move along the surface of Earth like ripples on water, according to the UPSeis, an educational site for budding seismologists.
Body waves are further categorized as primary waves, or P waves, and secondary waves, S waves. P waves are also called compressional waves because they push and pull particles in the same direction as the wave is moving. S waves are slower than P waves and can move through solid rock only.
Surface waves can only travel through the earth's crust and have a lower frequency, but a higher path of destruction. All the damage done by earthquakes is created by surface waves. This is because the waves hit and break the foundations of buildings and other man-made structures.
There are two types of surface waves, Love waves and Rayleigh waves. Love waves create a side-to-side, swaying motion. Rayleigh waves create the up-and-down pounding motion felt in earthquakes. Many modern high-rise buildings that are earthquake-proof have a moveable foundation that takes the Love waves with ease and rides with them. Unfortunately, there is no way to protect a building against the pounding of a Rayleigh wave.