SortStack #2577 — 2033-06-29

By speed · Order from slowest to fastest.

1. The creep of a mountain glacier 175320 mm/year

   Glaciers flow downhill under their own weight like very slow rivers of ice, grinding valleys as they go.

2. A gentoo penguin swimming 36 km/h

   Gentoos are the fastest underwater birds, porpoising in and out of the water to breathe without slowing down.

3. A powerful soccer free kick 132 km/h

   A well-struck free kick can swerve in mid-air as spin and airflow bend its path around a defensive wall.

4. A maglev train at record speed 460 km/h

   Maglev trains float on magnets with no wheels, so the only friction left to overcome is the air itself.

5. A tsunami across the open ocean 800 km/h

   In deep water a tsunami is barely a ripple, racing as fast as a jet before rearing up near the shore.

6. Concorde at cruising speed 2.2K km/h

   Concorde flew so fast that the friction heated its frame, stretching the whole plane several inches in flight.

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