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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.
Another Answer:
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.
What else can I help you with?
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.
What increases When a tsunami reaches shallow water?
When a tsunami reaches shallow water, its wave height increases significantly due to the reduction in water depth. As the tsunami approaches the shore, the energy of the wave is compressed into a smaller water column, causing the wave to rise dramatically. Additionally, the wave's speed decreases, contributing to the growing height and potential destructive power as it impacts coastal areas.
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 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.
Why did japan survive the quake but not the tsunami?
Because Japan is a earth quake prone country and has houses and other things built for surviving an earthquake up to 10 magnitude. But Japan wasn't, in any way prepared for the tsunami.
Time gap between earthquake and tsunami?
It depends on the size of the earthquake. If it was just a very very minor shudder, then it would not make much of a tsunami, nor would it go very far. However, if there is an earthquake like the one that just hit Japan, then that could cross the pacific ocean.
How fast can a tsunami go on land?
A tsunami can travel at speeds of up to 50-60 miles per hour (80-100 kilometers per hour) on land, depending on the specific characteristics of the terrain it encounters.
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
How soon can a tsunami appear after a tsunami?
There are tsunamis and there are tsunami trains. A tsunami is generated by an underwater earthquake. A new tsunami has to wait for a new earthquake. It is not uncommon for any earthquake to be followed by one or more aftershocks within a matter of hours or days, so a new tsunami can result similarly. Since earthquake behavior is notoriously unpredictable, so is tsunami generation. A single tsunami results in a series of waves with periods ranging from minutes to hours. This is called the tsunami "wave train". There is more information in the related links.
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 2004 tsunami was caused by a magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Tsunamis are not measured on the Richter scale, which is used to measure the size of earthquakes.
Did the recent earthquake in japan speed up the earths rotation?
No.
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 always only when the earthquake is off shore if it is on land then there isn't a tsunami. What happens is if the earthquake is off shore it causes a little mountain form and the water that was once in the space that the mountain now takes up creates a wave that gradually picks up more water then more speed and there you have it: A tsunami
