Which type of seismic waves travel faster?

P waves, or primary waves, travel faster than other types of seismic waves due to their nature as compressional waves. They are the first to be detected by seismographs following an earthquake because they move through the Earth's interior by compressing and expanding the material in the direction of wave propagation. This allows them to travel through both solids and fluids, making them the fastest seismic waves, typically reaching speeds of around 6 to 14 kilometers per second.

In contrast, S waves, also known as secondary waves, move more slowly than P waves because they are shear waves that arise from the sideways motion of materials. They can only travel through solid materials, which further restricts their speed compared to the faster P waves. Surface waves, which roll along the Earth's surface, are the slowest among the seismic waves, leading to greater ground shaking during an earthquake but arriving last on a seismograph.

Therefore, P waves are indeed the fastest seismic waves, making them the correct choice in this question.