The Love wave is named after British geophysicist Augustus Edward Hough Love.
Love waves are surface seismic waves with horizontal particle motion perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels. They are produced when horizontally polarized shear motion is guided near Earth’s surface, especially where a slower surface layer overlies faster material.
Love waves generally travel faster than Rayleigh waves but slower than the body waves that arrive earlier in an earthquake recording. Their strong side-to-side motion can damage foundations, walls, bridges, and other structures.
Love developed the mathematical theory of this wave type in 1911. The name does not describe the wave’s behavior; it honors the scientist. Rayleigh waves, by contrast, are named after Lord Rayleigh and involve a rolling, elliptical particle motion.