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Tsunami Wave Speed

Speed of a tsunami in the open ocean (a shallow-water wave relative to its wavelength).

Formula

v = \sqrt{g\,d}

Variables

vWave speed (m/s)

gGravity (9.81 m/s²)

dOcean depth (m)

Example

Over 4000 m of ocean: v ≈ 200 m/s (~700 km/h)

Did You Know?

In deep water a tsunami travels as fast as a jet airliner, yet may be under a metre high.

tsunami ocean disaster seismic

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