If the lower layer is very deep, then the speed of propagation is
\(c = [g'H]^{1/2}\)
where \(H\) is the thickness of the upper layer and \(g' = g(\rho_2 - \rho_1)/\rho_2\) is the reduced gravity.
For a continuously stratified medium of depth \(H\) and buoyancy frequency \(N\), internal Kelvin waves can propagate at any of the normal mode speeds given by
\(\boxed{\tan\left( \frac{NH}{c_n} \right) = 0 \Rightarrow c_n = \frac{NH}{n\pi} \quad \text{for} \quad n = 1, 2, 3, \dots}\)
The decay scale for internal Kelvin waves is again
\(\boxed{\Lambda = c/f}\),
but it is called the internal Rossby radius of deformation.
The value of \(\Lambda\) for internal Kelvin waves is much smaller than the external Rossby radius of deformation.
For \(n = 1\), a typical value in the ocean is
\(\Lambda = NH/\pi f \sim 50 \, \text{km}\)
a typical atmospheric value is much larger, being of order
\(\Lambda \sim 1000 \, \text{km}\)