Marine & Nautical
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Deep-Water Wave Speed

Speed of ocean waves in deep water from wavelength.

Formula

v=gλ2πv = \sqrt{\frac{g\lambda}{2\pi}}

Variables

vWave speed (m/s)
gGravity 9.81
λWavelength (m)

Example

λ=100 m: v = √(981/6.28) ≈ 12.5 m/s

Did You Know?

Longer ocean swells travel faster, which is why the first waves from a distant storm are the longest.

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