Final answer:
A tsunami has very long wavelengths caused by disturbances like earthquakes and the distance between wave crests can be calculated by the tsunami's speed and wave arrival rate. In this case, with a tsunami speed of 600 km/h and wave crests arriving every 15 minutes, the distance between wave crests is 150 km.
Step-by-step explanation:
A tsunami, also known as a tidal wave, is a series of ocean waves with very long wavelengths caused by large-scale disturbances such as earthquakes under the sea, landslides, or volcanic eruptions. The distance between tsunami wave crests can be calculated using their speed and the rate at which they hit the shore.
Given that a tsunami travels at a speed of 600 km/h and the rate of wave crests approaching the shore is one every 15 minutes (4 waves per hour), the distance between wave crests is computed by the formula Distance = Speed x Time. Since 600 km/h equals 10 km/min, the distance between crests when one wave crest arrives every 15 minutes is 10 km/min multiplied by 15 min, which equals 150 kilometers between each wave crest.