Tsunamis (\"tidal waves\") are deep ocean waves that usually result from underse

Question

Tsunamis ("tidal waves") are deep ocean waves that usually result from undersea earthquakes or landslides. The historic tsunami that struck the Hilo side of the Big Island in 1946 originated from an undersea earthquake in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. 3900 km away. Suppose that it took 4.3 hours for the tsunami to reach Hawaii. As it washed past Hawaii, people noticed that the crests arrived 15 minutes apart. What was the tsunami's wavelength? (Assume that the wave has constant speed and wavelength everywhere.) Show your work completely.

Explanation / Answer

Answer:

Velocity of wave = 3900 x 103/ (15480 sec) = 251.9 m/s

Time to reach 2nd crest = 15 minutes this means

Time period betwwen two consecutive crest = 15 minutes = 900 sec

frequency of wave = 1/900 per sec

Wavelength = velocity/ frequency = 251.9 x 900 = 226.7 Km

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