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Britain's National Oceanography Centre said "the tsunami quickly roared through the Pacific Ocean at comparable speeds to a jumbo jet flying in the sky".

The speed of tsunami waves depends on the depth of the sea where the waves occurs, where the speed can reach hundreds of kilometers per hour if the tsunami forms in deep water. When it hits land it is "almost like a freight train that smashes everything in its path," said a professor of engineering at the University of Ottawa, "usually in a sequence of two or three waves".

The tsunami wave height can reach a few centimeters to several meters, but when it reaches shore the wave height can reach tens of meters due to a buildup of the water. When the tsunami reaches the coast of the mainland it could travel over land with a range of several hundred meters up to a few kilometers. In the case of Japan's recent tsunami it reached up to 10 km or (6 mi) inland.

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500 MPH is the commonly accepted speed of the energy wave in a tsunami in the open ocean. In this state, it typically only has an amplitude of a couple of feet. Most boats in the ocean will not even notice a tsunami as it goes past them. As it approachs land, however, it slows down and gains amplitude. This change depends on the topography of the ocean floor, but a typical approach speed is about 50 MPH with an amplitude closer to 30 to 60 feet, depending on the energy.

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7y ago
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13y ago

"On March 11 at 2:46pm JST (1) a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near the northeastern coast of Japan, creating extremely destructive tsunami waves which hit Japan just minutes after the earthquake, and triggering evacuations and warnings across the Pacific Ocean.

The earthquake and tsunami have caused extensive and severe damage in Northeastern Japan, leaving thousands of people confirmed dead, injured or missing, and millions more affected by lack of electricity, water and transportation."

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13y ago

I heard it was at least 500 mph while it was happening.

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500 MPH is the commonly accepted speed of the energy wave in a tsunami in the open ocean. In this state, it typically only has an amplitude of a couple of feet. Most boats in the ocean will not even notice a tsunami as it goes past them. As it approachs land, however, it slows down and gains amplitude. This change depends on the topography of the ocean floor, but a typical approach speed is about 50 MPH with an amplitude closer to 30 to 60 feet, depending on the energy.

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12y ago

Britain's National Oceanography Centre said "the tsunami quickly roared through the Pacific Ocean at comparable speeds to a jumbo jet flying in the sky".

It traveled up to speeds of 500 mph (805 km/hr). It hit the coast of Japan with such speed and power that it traveled up to 10 km or (6 mi) inland.

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6y ago


Britain's National Oceanography Centre said "the tsunami quickly roared through the Pacific Ocean at comparable speeds to a jumbo jet flying in the sky". The tsunami raced outward from the epicenter at speeds that approached about 500 miles (800 km) per hour. It generated waves up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) high along the coast of Hawaii.
The speed of tsunami waves depends on the depth of the sea where the waves occurs, where the speed can reach hundreds of kilometers per hour if the tsunami forms in deep water. When it hits land it is "almost like a freight train that smashes everything in its path," said a professor of engineering at the University of Ottawa, "usually in a sequence of two or three waves".

The tsunami wave height can reach a few centimeters to several meters, but when it reaches shore the wave height can reach tens of meters due to a buildup of the water. When the tsunami reaches the coast of the mainland it could travel over land with a range of several hundred meters up to a few kilometers. In the case of Japan's tsunami in March 2011, it reached up to 10 km or (6 mi) inland.


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Q: What was the speed of the tsunami after the earthquake in Japan on March 11 2011?
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Why did the Mar 11th 2011 earthquake in Japan trigger tsunami warnings in Hawaii US?

Because a Tsunami can travel great distances very rapidly. Out in deep sea they don't look like much just a big swell but as they near the coast they pick up speed and height.


Where earthquake waves travel faster whether in rock or water?

Faster in rock. the higher the density, the higher the speed.


Why there are so many earthquakes in japan?

Japan is a peninsala so it is prone to earthquakes because, the land often rubs against the undersea floor, and so the vibrations cause the plates of the earth to be softer and more loose, which results in the area around Japan to be prone to the plates of the earth buckling, therefore resulting in a highert chance of earthquakes.


How do people sense seismic waves?

They use the Richter scale to measure the speed of the earthquakes. Levels of earthquakes 2.0 ---> can't be felt 4.0 ---> do not cause damage 5.0---> can cause damage 6.0 ---> considered strong 7.0---> is a major earthquake +++ That is not correct. You have confused speed with intensity. The Richter scale, which is logarithmic, measures the intensity ("strength" if you like). The speed is measured in ordinary linear units like metre/second or km/hr, calculated from observing the earthquake's waves' progress past seismographs around the world.


What is the speed of a earthquake?

just make sure u stay clear from every kellys path or else u will get flattened.i meant it. she is fatter than a monster truck

Related questions

What was the speed of the earthquake in Japan on March the 11?

The size of the March 2011 earthquake in Japan on Friday was an 8.9 but they may up it to a 9, there is talk of it.


How fast can a tsunami go on land?

The recent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th 2011, came on land at the speed of 550 MPH, and it quickly came only 9 minutes after the earthquake hit.


How do the japan tsunami compare with past tsunamis?

The tsunami triggered by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 reportedly struck a coastal city in Japan at just over 23 meters (77 feet) high. In many places along Japan's coasts the waves were up to 4 stories high at 10 meters (33 feet). The tsunami wave speed was estimated to be 500mph or 800 kilometers per hour, which crossed the Pacific Ocean reaching the coastlines from Alaska to Chile.In comparison, the 2010 Chile earthquake generated tsunami waves measuring 2-9 meters along the northeastern Honshu coastline in Japan.The 2011 Christchurch earthquake produced a series of 3.5 m (11 ft) high tsunami waves.The highest tsunami apparently is the 1958 Lituya Baymega-tsunami with a record height of 524 m (1742 ft), which is taller than the Empire State building and Sears Tower for comparison.


What did the 2004 tsunami measure on the Richter scale?

The Richter scale is a measure of the energy released at the focus of the earthquake, which was a magnitude 9.0 quake that triggered the tsunami. A tsunami can be measured in wave height and wave speed and it was reported that the height of a tsunami wave that struck a coastal city in Japan's on March 11 at just over 77 feet high. In most places the waves were up to 4 stories high at 10 meters (33 feet). The wave speed was estimated to be 500mph or 800 kilometers per hour.


What speed was the tsunami wave going when it hit Japan?

800 kmh


What was the real speed of the tsunami that hit japan?

The real speed was 100,000 miles per hour


Did the recent earthquake in japan speed up the earths rotation?

No.


Where does the water come from to make a tsunami?

The water that comes with the tsunami rushes inland at high speed, spreading as far as it can, destroying coastal communities. It then recedes back into the ocean at a much more gradual pace, taking longer to drain than it took to arrive.


Why did the Mar 11th 2011 earthquake in Japan trigger tsunami warnings in Hawaii US?

Because a Tsunami can travel great distances very rapidly. Out in deep sea they don't look like much just a big swell but as they near the coast they pick up speed and height.


Is an earthquake always followed by a tsunami?

No, not all earthquakes are followed by tsunamis. Tsunamis are typically caused by underwater earthquakes or landslides, but not all earthquakes generate tsunamis. The likelihood of a tsunami depends on the magnitude and location of the earthquake.


How powerful can tsunamis be?

So powerful it can destroy anything in it's path if you can name it then it can be detroyed by a tsunami This includes traintracks houses apartment biuldings skyscrapers and more


How big was the tsunami wave that hit Japan in 2011?

It was reported that the height of the tsunami wave that struck a coastal city in Japan's on March 11, 2011 was just over 77 feet high. In most places the waves were up to 4 stories high at 10 meters (33 feet).The tsunami was so powerful its waves traveled the entire Pacific ocean and were felt from the coasts of Alaska to that of Chile. The wave speed was estimated to be 500mph or 800 kilometers per hour.