Why are waves the last to arrive at a seismic station?

Waves are the last to arrive at a seismic station because they travel at different speeds through the Earth's layers. Primary waves (P-waves) are the fastest, followed by secondary waves (S-waves), while surface waves, which generally cause the most damage, are the slowest. Surface waves travel along the Earth's crust and take longer to reach seismic stations due to their longer paths and lower velocities. Thus, the sequence of arrival is P-waves first, followed by S-waves, and finally surface waves.