Tsunami causes devastation near the coast of the sea as the speed of the sonic waves generated at the epicentre is
[amp_mcq option1=”directly proportional to the depth of the sea” option2=”inversely proportional to the depth of the sea” option3=”directly proportional to the distance between the coast and epicentre” option4=”inversely proportional to the distance between the coast and epicentre” correct=”option1″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2011
The correct option is A) directly proportional to the depth of the sea.
The speed of a tsunami wave (a shallow-water wave in terms of wavelength relative to depth) is determined by the formula v = sqrt(g * d), where ‘v’ is speed, ‘g’ is the acceleration due to gravity, and ‘d’ is the depth of the water. This formula shows that the wave speed is directly proportional to the square root of the depth. Therefore, in deeper water, tsunamis travel faster, and as they approach the shallower coast, they slow down.