Velocity with which a wave advances. The celerity (c) of an ideal wave is related to its wavelength (λ) and frequency (f) by the wave equation c = fλ. The wave frequency (f) is the number of waves (n) passing a point in unit time (t), i.e. f = n/t. In deep water the wave celerity may be calculated by the equation: c = (gλ/2π)½ = 1.25√λ, where λ is the wavelength in metres and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s2). The speed of shallow water waves may be calculated by the equation: c = (gd)½ = 3.13√d, where d is the depth of water in metres.