Velocity of Sound in Sea Water (20°C, 10m depth) to Centimeter per Second

The speed of sound in seawater at 20°C and 10 meters depth is approximately 1,522 m/s, varying with temperature, salinity, and pressure.

Complex function of T, S, P. Mackenzie equation: c ≈ 1,449 + 4.6T - 0.055T² + 0.00029T³ + (1.34-0.01T)(S-35) + 0.016z. Typical: ~1,500 m/s.

To km/h: × 3.6. To ft/s: × 3.281. 1,522 m/s = 5,479 km/h = 3,404 mph.

Naval sonar, commercial ship echo sounders, underwater positioning systems, and marine seismic surveys.

Sound speed increases ~1.3 m/s per °C, ~1.3 m/s per PSU salinity, and ~1.7 m/s per 100m depth. SOFAR channel at ~1000m depth traps sound for thousands of km.

Using a single constant — sound speed in the ocean varies significantly with depth and location. Always measure or calculate for local conditions.

~1,500 m/s is a good approximation. Remember: warmer, saltier, deeper = faster sound. Critical for accurate sonar ranging.

Centimeter per second measures distance in centimeters traveled in one second. Common for small-scale movements and flows.

1 cm/s = 0.01 m/s = 0.036 km/h = 0.6 m/min.

To m/s: ÷ 100. To km/h: × 0.036. To mm/s: × 10.

Stream/river surface flow (10–200 cm/s), blood flow velocity in arteries (10–100 cm/s), small machine movements, and insect flight speeds.

Housefly speed: ~200 cm/s. Blood in aorta: ~40 cm/s. Small stream flow: 30–100 cm/s. Ant running: 1–3 cm/s.

Confusing cm/s with m/s — off by a factor of 100. Mixing up with mm/s.

100 cm/s = 1 m/s. Good for water flow, blood flow, and small animal speeds. Divide by 100 to get m/s.