Which seismic waves are known to be faster and can travel through both solids and liquids?

P waves, or primary waves, are the seismic waves that are known to be faster than other types of seismic waves and can travel through both solid and liquid materials. These waves are compressional in nature, meaning they cause particles in the material they pass through to move back and forth in the same direction as the wave is traveling.

This characteristic allows P waves to propagate through Earth's interior, including the liquid outer core, which is vital information in understanding the Earth's layered structure. In contrast, S waves, which are shear waves, can only move through solids, and L waves and R waves, which are surface waves, are slower and only travel along the Earth's surface. Thus, P waves are essential for seismologists to analyze the composition of the Earth's interior and to measure the distance to an earthquake epicenter.