Which seismic wave is responsible for the rolling motion felt during an earthquake?

The seismic wave responsible for the rolling motion felt during an earthquake is a Rayleigh wave. Rayleigh waves travel along or near Earth's surface and move the ground in an elliptical, rolling motion, somewhat like the motion of ocean waves.

They are a type of surface wave, formed through the interaction of vertical and horizontal ground movement. As a Rayleigh wave passes, particles generally move both up and down and back and forth in the direction the wave travels. This combination can make the ground feel as though it is heaving or rolling beneath a person.

Rayleigh waves usually travel more slowly than body waves, such as P-waves and S-waves, but their surface location often makes them especially destructive to buildings and infrastructure. Love waves are also surface waves, yet they mainly produce side-to-side horizontal motion. P-waves compress and expand the ground, while S-waves shear it sideways and cannot travel through liquids.