Other modes of wave propagation exist than those described in this article; though of comparatively minor importance for earth-borne waves, they are important in the case of asteroseismology.

• Body waves travel through the interior of the Earth.
• Surface waves travel across the surface. Surface waves decay more slowly with distance than body waves, which travel in three dimensions.
• Particle motion of surface waves is larger than that of body waves, so surface waves tend to cause more damage.