Retrieved literature reports tsunami speeds (such as 500 km/h or 215 m/s) that are well below the speed of sound in air (approximately 1,235 km/h or 343 m/s).
Tsunamis are commonly generated by earthquakes beneath the ocean floor, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. The tsunami following the Tonga eruption of 2022 is believed to have been excited by atmospheric pressure fluctuations generated by the explosion of the volcano. The first, fast-traveling tsunami was excited by Lamb waves; however, it has not been clarified observationally or theoretically which type of atmospheric fluctuations excited more prominent tsunami which followd. In this study, we investigate atmospheric gravity waves that possibly excited the aforementioned subsequent tsunami based on observations and atmosphere-ocean coupling simulations. The atmospheric fluctuations are classified as Lamb waves, acoustic waves, or gravity waves. The arrival time of the gravity wave and the simulation shows that the gravity wave propagated at a phase speed of 215 m/s, coinciding with the tsunami velocity in the Pacific Ocean, and suggesting that the gravity wave resonantly excited the tsunami (Proudman resonance). These observations and theoretical calculations provide an essential basis for investigations of volcano-induced meteotsunamis, including the Tonga event.
for all of Hawaii.[24] Tsunami waves were expected to arrive in Hawaii at 2:59 am local time.[25] A wave two meters high reached California, after travelling across the Pacific Ocean at a speed of 500 kilometres per hour.[23] A man in California was drowned after being swept into the ocean while trying to take a photograph of the tsunami wave.[26]
Effects
Deaths–Injured–Missing
The Japanese National Police Agency has officially confirmed 15,890 deaths, 6,152 injured, and 2,590 people missing across 18 prefectures, as well as over 126,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.[13]
Nuclear disaster
The Fukushima nuclear disaster began on March 11 2011, just hours after the initial wave.[27][28] The connection to the electrical grid was broken. All power for cooling was lost and reactors started to overheat. There was a partial core meltdown in reactors 1, 2, and 3; hydrogen explosions destroyed the upper part of the buildings housing reactors 1, 3, and 4; an explosion damaged the containment inside reactor 2; fires broke out at reactor 4. Despite being initially shutdown, reactors 5 and 6 began to overheat.
Everything we examined (2)
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.