2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

none Boxing Day earthquake the 2010 Christchurch earthquake December 2010 Christchurch earthquake Persistent disruptive editing despite multiple protections. Enough. yes March 2017 October 2024 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami infobox 1/2/2 300 US Navy 050102-N-9593M-040 A village near the coast of Sumatra lays in ruin after the Tsunami that struck South East Asia.jpg 041231중앙119구조본부 서남아시아 지진해일 출동3.jpg Man searching through rubble in Meulaboh after 2004 tsunami DM-SD-06-11957.JPEG 2004-tsunami balanced.jpg Tsunami Memoral Alappadu.jpg From top, left to right: Banda Aceh, Indonesia, after the tsunami Korean rescue workers recovering a body under debris a man searching through rubble in Meulaboh people running away from the tsunami a tsunami memorial in Kerala, India 7453151 official20041226005853450_30 yes 2004 12 26M 9.1 – 2004 Sumatra – Andaman Islands Earthquake https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official20041226005853450_30/executive National Earthquake Information Center United States Geological Survey 24 April 2023 26 December 2004 26 September 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190926105014/https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official20041226005853450_30/executive live 2004-12-26 00:58:53 07:28:53 UTC+06:30 07:58:53 UTC+07:00 08:58:53 UTC+08:00 Indian Ocean#Indonesia Sumatra#Earth 30 km US$15 billionhttp://indianoceantsunami.web.unc.edu/the-economical-impacts-and-aspects-of-the-2004-indian-ocean-tsunmai-on-indonesia/ Indian Ocean Tsunami – Economic Aspects indianoceantsunami.web.unc.edu 4 January 2018 18 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190418132913/http://indianoceantsunami.web.unc.edu/the-economical-impacts-and-aspects-of-the-2004-indian-ocean-tsunmai-on-indonesia/ dead 3.316 N 95.854 E type:event_scale:50000000 inline,title Megathrust 15 to 30 m 1;Astonishing Wave Heights Among the Findings of an International Tsunami Survey Team on Sumatra https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/03/ United States Geological Survey 16 June 2016 27 August 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160827064707/http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/03/ dead max. 51 mParis Raphaël Cachão Mário Fournier Jérôme Voldoire Olivier Nannoliths abundance and distribution in tsunami deposits: example from the December 26, 2004 tsunami in Lhok Nga (north-west Sumatra, Indonesia) Géomorphologie: Relief, Processus, Environnement 1 April 2010 16 1 109–118 10.4000/geomorphologie.7865 2010GRPE...16..109P http://journals.openedition.org/geomorphologie/7865 2 June 2020 25 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200725055443/https://journals.openedition.org/geomorphologie/7865 live 1266-5304 subscription IX 9.2–9.3 w y Indian Ocean coastline areas 227,898 deadTelford John https://cdn.sida.se/publications/files/sida61330en-joint-evaluation-of-the-international-response-to-the-indian-ocean-tsunami.pdf Joint Evaluation of the International Response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami: Synthesis Report Cosgrave John Tsunami Evaluation Coalition 2006 0-85003-807-3 London 33https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/most_destructive.php Earthquakes with 50,000 or More Deaths United States Geological Survey https://web.archive.org/web/20130605122458/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/most_destructive.php 5 June 2013 10 minutes en-UK On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7), a w y 9.2–9.3 earthquake struck with its epicenter off the west coast of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake,Lay T. Kanamori H. Ammon C. Nettles M. Ward S. Aster R. Beck S. Bilek S. Brudzinski M. Butler R. DeShon H. Ekström G. Satake K. Sipkin S. The Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake of 26 December 2004 Science 20 May 2005 308 5725 1127–1133 10.1126/science.1112250 15905392 2005Sci...308.1127L 43739943 http://authors.library.caltech.edu/20879/2/Lay_SOM.pdf 20 March 2019 22 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210722221132/https://authors.library.caltech.edu/20879/2/Lay_SOM.pdf livehttps://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/sumatraEQ/ Tsunamis and Earthquakes: Tsunami Generation from the 2004 Sumatra Earthquake – USGS Western Coastal and Marine Geology Walrus.wr.usgs.gov 12 August 2010 26 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181226114009/https://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/sumatraEQ/ live was caused by a rupture along the fault boundary between the Burma plate and the Indian plate, and reached a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX in some areas. The earthquake caused a massive tsunami with waves up to 30 m 1 high, referred to by British and Commonwealth media as the Boxing Day tsunami, after the Boxing Day holiday, or the Asian tsunami,24 December 2014 A decade after the 2004 Asian Tsunami: recalling the turning point for disaster management https://www.who.int/southeastasia/news/opinion-editorials/detail/a-decade-after-the-2004-asian-tsunami-recalling-the-turning-point-for-disaster-management 18 May 2024 World Health Organization which devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries, especially in Aceh in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu in India, and Khao Lak in Thailand. The direct result was severe disruption to living conditions and commerce in coastal provinces of these and other surrounding countries. It is the deadliest tsunami in history, the deadliest natural disaster of the 21st century,Goff James https://books.google.com/books?id=Xr4cEAAAQBAJ&pg=189 Tsunami: The World's Greatest Waves Dudley Walter C. Oxford University Press 2021 9780197546123 New York 189 Boxing Day: The World’s Worst Disaster of the 21st Century 10.1093/oso/9780197546123.001.0001 and one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.Satake Kenji 13 November 2014 Advances in earthquake and tsunami sciences and disaster risk reduction since the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami Geoscience Letters 1 1 15 10.1186/s40562-014-0015-7 free 2014GSL.....1...15S 2196-4092 It is also the worst natural disaster in the history of Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.Athukorala Prema-chandra 2012 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Disaster, Generosity and Recovery https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2012.02083.x Asian Economic Journal 26 3 211–231 10.1111/j.1467-8381.2012.02083.x 1351-3958 subscription The earthquake itself is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Asia, the strongest of the 21st century, and the second- or third-most powerful globally since modern seismography began in 1900.Gross Richard S. Chao Benjamin F. 1 November 2006 The rotational and gravitational signature of the December 26, 2004 Sumatran earthquake Surveys in Geophysics 27 6 615–632 10.1007/s10712-006-9008-1 2006SGeo...27..615G 1573-0956Estimates of this earthquake are on par or smaller than the 1964 Alaska earthquake (w 9.2–9.3).M 9.2 – The 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Earthquake 1964 iscgem869809 Depending on estimates, it could place both earthquakes just behind the 1960 Valdivia earthquake (ww 9.5–9.6)M 9.5 – 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake) 1960 iscgem879136 (i.e. both rank second largest) or one of them as the second or third largest (i.e. 1964 event ranks second followed by 2004 event and vice versa).What are the biggest historical earthquakes? https://earthobservatory.sg/earth-science-education/earth-science-faqs/geology-and-tectonics/what-are-the-biggest-historical-earthquakes 21 June 2024 Earth Observatory of Singapore It had the longest fault rupture ever observed, between 1200 to 1300 km mi 0, and had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, lasting at least ten minutes.https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104179 Analysis of the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake Reveals Longest Fault Rupture Ever 19 May 2005 National Science Foundation 15 December 2016 12 August 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210812205404/https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104179 live Its seismic waves caused measurable vibrations throughout the planet, with displacements of up to 10 mm 1,Walton Marsha http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/05/19/sumatra.quake/index.html Scientists: Sumatra quake longest ever recorded CNN 20 May 2005 15 December 2016 14 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120214073430/http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/05/19/sumatra.quake/index.html live and also remotely triggered earthquakes as far away as Alaska.West Michael Sanches John J. McNutt Stephen R. 27869948 Periodically Triggered Seismicity at Mount Wrangell, Alaska, After the Sumatra Earthquake Science 20 May 2005 308 5725 1144–1146 15905395 2005Sci...308.1144W 10.1126/science.1112462 Its epicentre was located between Simeulue and mainland Sumatra.Nalbant Suleyman S. Steacy Sandy Sieh Kerry Natawidjaja Danny Danny Hilman Natawidjaja McCloskey John Seismology: Earthquake risk on the Sunda trench Nature 9 June 2005 435 7043 756–757 10.1038/nature435756a 15944691 http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~sieh/pubs_docs/papers/P05b.pdf 16 May 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20100604092608/http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~sieh/pubs_docs/papers/P05b.pdf 4 June 2010 dead 2005Natur.435..756N 10220/8668 4321796 The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a worldwide humanitarian response, with donations totaling more than US$14 billionJayasuriya Sisira McCawley Peter http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/Bookentry_Main.lasso?id=13668 The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction after a Disaster Cheltenham, UK; Northampton, MA Edward Elgar 2010 978-1-84844-692-2 6 December 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110722005138/http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/Bookentry_Main.lasso?id=13668 22 July 2011 dead (equivalent to US$USD 14 2004 billion in USD currency). Earthquake thumb|left|USGS ShakeMap for the event The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was initially documented as having a moment magnitude of 8.8. The United States Geological Survey has its official estimate of w9.1,Long-term ocean observing for international capacity development around tsunami early warning https://www.usgs.gov/publications/long-term-ocean-observing-international-capacity-development-around-tsunami-early United States Geological Survey 18 October 2022 18 October 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221018073633/https://www.usgs.gov/publications/long-term-ocean-observing-international-capacity-development-around-tsunami-early livehttps://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official20041226005853450_30/executive 2025-05-13 earthquake.usgs.gov M 9.1 - 2004 Sumatra - Andaman Islands Earthquake but most recent studies suggest that the earthquake was w9.2–9.3. Hiroo Kanamori of the California Institute of Technology estimates that w9.2 is the most representative estimate of the earthquake's size.Kanamori Hiroo 2006 Seismological Aspects of the December 2004 Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1193/1.2201969 Earthquake Spectra 22 3_suppl 1–12 10.1193/1.2201969 2006EarSp..22....1K 8755-2930 subscription More recent studies estimate the magnitude to be w9.3.Tsai Victor C. Nettles Meredith Ekström Göran Dziewonski Adam M. 2005 Multiple CMT source analysis of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2005GL023813 Geophysical Research Letters 32 17 2005GL023813 10.1029/2005GL023813 2005GeoRL..3217304T 0094-8276Hirata Kenji Satake Kenji Tanioka Yuichiro Kuragano Tsurane Hasegawa Yohei Hayashi Yutaka Hamada Nobuo 1 February 2006 The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: Tsunami source model from satellite altimetry Earth, Planets and Space 58 2 195–201 10.1186/BF03353378 free 2006EP&S...58..195H 1880-5981Menke William Abend Hannah Bach Dalia Newman Kori Levin Vadim 1 November 2006 Review of the source characteristics of the Great Sumatra–Andaman Islands earthquake of 2004 Surveys in Geophysics 27 6 603–613 10.1007/s10712-006-9013-4 2006SGeo...27..603M 1573-0956 freeStein Seth Okal Emile A. 1 January 2007 Ultralong Period Seismic Study of the December 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Implications for Regional Tectonics and the Subduction Process https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/bssa/article/97/1A/S279/146573/Ultralong-Period-Seismic-Study-of-the-December Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 97 1A S279–S295 10.1785/0120050617 2007BuSSA..97S.279S 1943-3573 subscription A 2016 study estimated the magnitude to be w9.25,Bletery Quentin Sladen Anthony Jiang Junle Simons Mark 2016 A Bayesian source model for the 2004 great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016JB012911 Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 121 7 5116–5135 10.1002/2016JB012911 2016JGRB..121.5116B 2169-9313 while a 2021 study revised its 2007 estimate of w9.1 to a new magnitude of w9.2.Fujii Yushiro Satake Kenji Watada Shingo Ho Tung-Cheng 1 December 2021 Re-examination of Slip Distribution of the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman Earthquake (Mw 9.2) by the Inversion of Tsunami Data Using Green's Functions Corrected for Compressible Seawater Over the Elastic Earth Pure and Applied Geophysics 178 12 4777–4796 10.1007/s00024-021-02909-6 2021PApGe.178.4777F 1420-9136 free The hypocentre of the main earthquake was approximately 160 km -1 off the western coast of northern Sumatra, in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue island at a depth of 30 km below sea level (initially reported as 10 km or). The northern section of the Sunda megathrust ruptured over a length of 1300 km. The earthquake (followed by the tsunami) was felt in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.Løvholt F. Bungum H. Harbitz C.B. Glimsdal S. Lindholm C.D. Pedersen G. 1 Earthquake related tsunami hazard along the western coast of Thailand Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 30 November 2006 6 6 979–997 10.5194/nhess-6-979-2006 11250/2426119 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00299386/file/nhess-6-979-2006.pdf 2006NHESS...6..979L free 1 September 2019 25 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210725132236/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00299386/file/nhess-6-979-2006.pdf live Splay faults, or secondary "pop up faults", caused long, narrow parts of the seafloor to pop up in seconds. This rapidly increased the height and speed of the tsunami waves, destroying the nearby Indonesian town of Lhoknga.Sibuet J. Rangin C. Le Pichon X. Singh S. Cattaneo A. Graindorge D. Klingelhoefer F. Lin J. Malod J. Maury T. Schneider J. Sultan N. Umber M. Yamaguchi H. 1 26th December 2004 great Sumatra–Andaman earthquake: Co-seismic and post-seismic motions in northern Sumatra Earth and Planetary Science Letters 15 November 2007 263 1–2 88–103 10.1016/j.epsl.2007.09.005 http://wwz.ifremer.fr/drogm/content/download/36024/293289/file/2007EPSLSibuet.pdf 16 May 2009 https://www.webcitation.org/5gsKIqvg4?url=http://wwz.ifremer.fr/drogm/content/download/36024/293289/file/2007EPSLSibuet.pdf 19 May 2009 dead 2007E&PSL.263...88S Indonesia lies between the Pacific Ring of Fire along the northeastern islands adjacent to New Guinea, and the Alpide belt that runs along the south and west from Sumatra, Java, Bali, Flores to Timor. The 2002 Sumatra earthquake is believed to have been a foreshock, preceding the main event by over two years.Vallée M. 2007 Rupture Properties of the Giant Sumatra Earthquake Imaged by Empirical Green's Function Analysis Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America Seismological Society of America 97 1A S103–S114 10.1785/0120050616 http://igpphome.ucsd.edu/~shearer/Files/Sumatra_Papers/vallee_bssa07.pdf 2007BuSSA..97S.103V 10 February 2016 10 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161010004431/http://igpphome.ucsd.edu/~shearer/Files/Sumatra_Papers/vallee_bssa07.pdf live Historical comparisons List of megathrust earthquakes Great earthquakes such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake are generally associated with megathrust events in subduction zones. Their seismic moments can account for a significant fraction of the global seismic moment across century-scale periods. Of all the moment released by earthquakes in the 100 years from 1906 through 2005, roughly one-eighth was due to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.Bird Peter Kreemer Corné February 2015 Revised Tectonic Forecast of Global Shallow Seismicity Based on Version 2.1 of the Global Strain Rate Map https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/bssa/article/105/1/152-166/323426 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 105 1 152–166 10.1785/0120140129 2015BuSSA.105..152B 0037-1106 subscription This quake, together with the Great Alaskan earthquake (1964) and the Great Chilean earthquake (1960), account for almost half of the total moment.Callender Rick Cumulative Moment Mag https://www.iris.edu/gallery3/general/posters/CenturyofEarthquakes/CumulativeMomentMag 20 November 2022 IRIS Consortium 20 November 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221120104338/https://www.iris.edu/gallery3/general/posters/CenturyofEarthquakes/CumulativeMomentMag dead Since 1900, the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the 1960 Chile earthquake (magnitude 9.5) and the 1964 Alaska earthquake in Prince William Sound (magnitude 9.2). The only other recorded earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater were off Kamchatka, Russia, in November 1952 (magnitude 9.0) and Tōhoku, Japan, in March 2011 (magnitude 9.1). Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean. In comparison to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the death toll from these earthquakes and tsunamis was significantly lower, primarily because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas. Comparisons with earlier earthquakes are difficult, as earthquake strength was not measured systematically until the 1930s.How do you determine the magnitude for an earthquake that occurred prior to the creation of the magnitude scale? https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-you-determine-magnitude-earthquake-occurred-prior-creation-magnitude-scale 10 December 2022 United States Geological Survey 10 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221210120240/https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-you-determine-magnitude-earthquake-occurred-prior-creation-magnitude-scale live However, historical earthquake strength can sometimes be estimated by examining historical descriptions of the damage caused, and the geological records of the areas where they occurred.Palmer Brian 14 January 2010 How do they measure earthquakes from 250 years ago? https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/01/how-do-they-measure-earthquakes-from-250-years-ago.html 10 December 2022 Slate 10 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221210120243/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/01/how-do-they-measure-earthquakes-from-250-years-ago.html live Some examples of significant historical megathrust earthquakes are the 1868 Arica earthquake in Peru and the 1700 Cascadia earthquake in western North America. Tectonic plates Plate tectonics thumb|left|Epicentre and associated aftershocks The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was unusually large in geographical and geological extent. An estimated 1600 km -2 of fault surface slipped (or ruptured) about 15 m -1 along the subduction zone where the Indian plate slides under (or subducts) the overriding Burma plate. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over several minutes: Seismographic and acoustic data indicate that the first phase involved a rupture about 400 km -1 long and 100 km -1 wide, 30 km beneath the sea bed—the largest rupture ever known to have been caused by an earthquake. The rupture proceeded at about 2.8 km/s mi/s km/h mph 3, beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over about 100 seconds. After a pause of about another 100 seconds, the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The northern rupture occurred more slowly than in the south, at about 2.1 km/s mi/s km/h mph, continuing north for another five minutes to a plate boundary where the fault type changes from subduction to strike-slip (the two plates slide past one another in opposite directions). The Indian plate is part of the Indo-Australian plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is moving north-east at an average of 60 mm/yr in/yr. The India Plate meets the Burma plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian plate) at the Sunda Trench. At this point, the India Plate subducts beneath the Burma plate, which carries the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands, and northern Sumatra. The India Plate sinks deeper and deeper beneath the Burma plate until the increasing temperature and pressure drive volatiles out of the subducting plate. These volatiles rise into the overlying plate, causing partial melting and the formation of magma. The rising magma intrudes into the crust above and exits the Earth's crust through volcanoes in the form of a volcanic arc. The volcanic activity that results as the Indo-Australian plate subducts the Eurasian plate has created the Sunda Arc. As well as the sideways movement between the plates, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake resulted in a rise of the seafloor by several metres, displacing an estimated 30 km3 of water and triggering devastating tsunami waves. The waves radiated outwards along the entire 1600 km -2 length of the rupture (acting as a line source). This greatly increased the geographical area over which the waves were observed, reaching as far as Mexico, Chile, and the Arctic. The raising of the seafloor significantly reduced the capacity of the Indian Ocean, producing a permanent rise in the global sea level by an estimated 0.1 mm 1.Bilham Roger A Flying Start, Then a Slow Slip Science 20 May 2005 308 5725 1126–1127 10.1126/science.1113363 15905391 2005Sci...308.1126B 30721065 Aftershocks and other earthquakes List of earthquakes in Indonesia List of earthquakes in 2004 thumb|Initial earthquake and aftershocks measuring greater than 4.0 w from 26 December 2004 to 10 January 2005 Numerous aftershocks were reported off the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands and the region of the original epicentre in the hours and days that followed. The magnitude 8.6 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake, which originated off the coast of the Sumatran island of Nias, is not considered an aftershock, despite its proximity to the epicentre, and was most likely triggered by stress changes associated with the 2004 event.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/poster/2005/20050328.php Poster of the Northern Sumatra Earthquake of 28 March 2005 – Magnitude 8.7 United States Geological Survey 22 July 2010 26 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110514113830/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/poster/2005/20050328.php 14 May 2011 dead The earthquake produced its own aftershocks, some registering a magnitude of as high as 6.9.M 6.9 – 89 km WSW of Singkil, Indonesia https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp000dr4t/executive 26 December 2023 United States Geological Survey Other aftershocks of up to magnitude 7.2M 7.2 – 284 km WNW of Sabang, Indonesia https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp000dbg6/executive 26 December 2023 United States Geological Survey continued to shake the region daily for three or four months.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4430255.stm Sumatra shaken by new earthquake BBC News 10 April 2005 24 December 2012 3 November 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121103182113/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4430255.stm live As well as continuing aftershocks, the energy released by the original earthquake continued to make its presence felt well after the event. A week after the earthquake, its reverberations could still be measured, providing valuable scientific data about the Earth's interior. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake came just three days after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in the sub-antarctic Auckland Islands, an uninhabited region southwest of New Zealand, and Macquarie Island to Australia's south. This is unusual since earthquakes of magnitude eight or more occur only about once per year on average.https://www.usgs.gov/faq/categories/9830/3355 USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: FAQ United States Geological Survey 10 December 2012 24 December 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20141120115751/http://www.usgs.gov/faq/categories/9830/3355 20 November 2014 dead The U.S. Geological Survey sees no evidence of a causal relationship between these events.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2004/us2004slav/faq.php Magnitude 9.1 Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake FAQ United States Geological Survey 29 December 2014 6 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20141213144822/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2004/us2004slav/faq.php 13 December 2014 dead The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake is thought to have triggered activity in both Leuser MountainRinaldo Aditya http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1317370,00050004.htm Thousands flee as Indonesian volcano spews into life Hindustan Times 12 April 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20060217062133/http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1317370%2C00050004.htm 17 February 2006 dead and Mount Talang,https://apnews.com/a277ea8d5aef4b058ea7a582f7982b89/Volcano-erupts-on-same-Indonesian-island-as-earlier-quake 3 October 2018 Eileen Ng Volcano erupts on same Indonesian island as earlier quake AP NEWS Associated Press Danny Hillman Natawidjaja, a geologist with Indonesia's Institute of Science...cited the example of the eruption of Mount Talang volcano in Indonesia's Sumatra province in April 2005, which geologists have said was connected to the devastating December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. 16 February 2020 16 February 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200216231638/https://apnews.com/a277ea8d5aef4b058ea7a582f7982b89/Volcano-erupts-on-same-Indonesian-island-as-earlier-quake live volcanoes in Aceh along the same range of peaks, while the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake sparked activity in Lake Toba, a massive caldera in Sumatra.https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=661767 Volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra Erupts ABC News United States 11 April 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050919103130/https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=661767 19 September 2005 Energy released thumb|right|Aftershocks of 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake The energy released on the Earth's surface (Me, the energy magnitude, which is the seismic potential for damage) by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was estimated at 1.117 joules.https://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/2004/eq_041226/neic_slav_e.html USGS Energy and Broadband Solution National Earthquake Information Center, US Geological Survey 12 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100404013939/http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/2004/eq_041226/neic_slav_e.html 4 April 2010 The earthquake generated a seismic oscillation of the Earth's surface of up to 200 - 300 mm 0, equivalent to the effect of the tidal forces caused by the Sun and Moon.August 2024 The seismic waves of the earthquake were felt across the planet, as far away as the U.S. state of Oklahoma, where vertical movements of 3 mm were recorded.August 2024 By February 2005, the earthquake's effects were still detectable as a 20 um mm in 1 complex harmonic oscillation of the Earth's surface, which gradually diminished and merged with the incessant free oscillation of the Earth more than four months after the earthquake.Dissertation University of Helsinki Virtanen Heikki 2006 Studies of earth dynamics with the superconducting gravimeter http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/mat/fysik/vk/virtanen/studieso.pdf 21 September 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20110605043202/http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/mat/fysik/vk/virtanen/studieso.pdf 5 June 2011 dead thumb|left|Vertical-component ground motions recorded by the Global Seismographic Network and displayed by the IRIS Consortium Because of its enormous energy release and shallow rupture depth, the earthquake generated remarkable seismic ground motions around the globe, particularly due to huge Rayleigh (surface) elastic waves that exceeded 10 mm 1 in vertical amplitude everywhere on Earth. The record section plot displays vertical displacements of the Earth's surface recorded by seismometers from the IRIS/USGS Global Seismographic Network plotted with respect to time (since the earthquake initiation) on the horizontal axis, and vertical displacements of the Earth on the vertical axis (note the 1 cm scale bar at the bottom for scale). The seismograms are arranged vertically by distance from the epicentre in degrees. The earliest, lower amplitude signal is that of the compressional (P) wave, which takes about 22 minutes to reach the other side of the planet (the antipode; in this case near Ecuador). The largest amplitude signals are seismic surface waves that reach the antipode after about 100 minutes. The surface waves can be clearly seen to reinforce near the antipode (with the closest seismic stations in Ecuador), and to subsequently encircle the planet to return to the epicentral region after about 200 minutes. A major aftershock (magnitude 7.1) can be seen at the closest stations starting just after the 200-minute mark. The aftershock would be considered a major earthquake under ordinary circumstances but is dwarfed by the mainshock. The TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 satellites happened to pass over the tsunami as it was crossing the ocean and anomalies in the order of 500 mm were measured.http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2005-013 NASA/French Satellite Data Reveal New Details of Tsunami Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA 11 January 2005 16 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305182017/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2005-013 5 March 2016 live The shift of mass and the massive release of energy slightly altered the Earth's rotation. Weeks after the earthquake, theoretical models suggested the earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2.68 microseconds, due to a decrease in the oblateness of the Earth.Cook-Anderson Gretchen Beasley Dolores http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2005/jan/HQ_05011_earthquake.html NASA Details Earthquake Effects on the Earth National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 10 January 2005 11 January 2005 27 January 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110127163105/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2005/jan/HQ_05011_earthquake.html live It also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 25 mm 0 in the direction of 145° east longitude,Schechner, Sam. "Earthquakes vs. the Earth's Rotation"; https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143615/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2004/12/earthquakes_vs_the_earths_rotation.html 12 June 2018 . Slate. 27 December 2004. or perhaps by up to 50 or 60 mm.http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/29/content_2389519.htm Italian scientists say Asian quakes cause Earth's axis shifted Xinhua News Agency 29 December 2004 https://web.archive.org/web/20090705140634/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/29/content_2389519.htm 5 July 2009 Because of tidal effects of the Moon, the length of a day increases at an average of 15 microseconds per year, so any rotational change due to the earthquake will be lost quickly. Similarly, the natural Chandler wobble of the Earth, which in some cases can be up to 15 m 1, eventually offset the minor wobble produced by the earthquake. There was 10 m movement laterally and 4 - 5 m vertically along the fault line. Early speculation was that some of the smaller islands south-west of Sumatra, which is on the Burma plate (the southern regions are on the Sunda plate), might have moved south-west by up to 36 m -1, but more accurate data released more than a month after the earthquake found the movement to be about 0.2 m 0.Quake moved Sumatra by only 20 centimeters: Danish scientists 31 January 2005 Agence France-Presse Since movement was vertical as well as lateral, some coastal areas may have been moved to below sea level. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands appear to have shifted south-west by around 1.25 m ftin and to have sunk by 1 m ftin.Bagla Pallava Science Now After the Earth Moved 28 January 2005 https://www.science.org/content/article/after-earth-moved 16 December 2016 20 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161220132403/http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2005/01/after-earth-moved live thumb|upright=1|Seismic moment release of the largest earthquakes from 1906 to 2005 In February 2005, the Royal Navy vessel Scott H131 6 surveyed the seabed around the earthquake zone, which varies in depth between 1000 and 5000 m fathom ft. The survey, conducted using a high-resolution, multi-beam sonar system, revealed that the earthquake had made a considerable impact on the topography of the seabed. 1500 m ft mid -high 1 thrust ridges created by previous geologic activity along the fault had collapsed, generating landslides several kilometres wide. One such landslide consisted of a single block of rock some 100 m high and 2 km long. The momentum of the water displaced by tectonic uplift had also dragged massive slabs of rock, each weighing millions of tonnes, as far as 10 km 0 across the seabed. An oceanic trench several kilometres wide was exposed in the earthquake zone.Knight Will https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6994 Asian tsunami seabed pictured with sonar New Scientist 10 February 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050227163829/http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6994 27 February 2005 Tsunami thumb|left|upright=1.3|The tsunami's propagation took 5 hours to reach Western Australia, 7 hours to reach the Arabian Peninsula, and did not reach the South African coast until nearly 11 hours after the earthquake The sudden vertical rise of the seabed by several metres during the earthquake displaced massive volumes of water, resulting in a tsunami that struck the coasts of the Indian Ocean. A tsunami that causes damage far away from its source is sometimes called a teletsunami and is much more likely to be produced by the vertical motion of the seabed than by horizontal motion.Lorca, Emilio Recabarren, Margot Earthquakes and tsunamis: high school textbook 1997 http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001115/111576eo.pdf 16 December 2016 29 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180929123116/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001115/111576eo.pdf live The tsunami, like all the others, behaved differently in deep water than in shallow water. In deep ocean water, tsunami waves form only a low, broad hump, barely noticeable and harmless, which generally travels at the high speed of 500 to 1000 km/h; in shallow water near coastlines, a tsunami slows down to only tens of kilometres per hour but, in doing so, forms large destructive waves. Scientists investigating the damage in Aceh found evidence that the wave reached a height of 24 m 1 when coming ashore along large stretches of the coastline, rising to 30 m 1 in some areas when travelling inland.Paris R. Lavigne F. Wassimer P. Sartohadi J. 2007 Coastal sedimentation associated with the December 26, 2004 tsunami in Lhoknga, west Banda Aceh (Sumatra, Indonesia) Marine Geology Elsevier 238 1–4 93–106 10.1016/j.margeo.2006.12.009 2007MGeol.238...93P Radar satellites recorded the heights of tsunami waves in deep water: the maximum height was at 600 mm ft 1 two hours after the earthquake, the first such observations ever made.Leslie John http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2365.htm NOAA Scientists able to Measure Tsunami Height from Space NOAA Magazine National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 10 January 2005 16 December 2016 3 June 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180603072630/http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2365.htm liveMcKee Maggie https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6854 Radar satellites capture tsunami wave height New Scientist 6 January 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20080924134642/http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6854 24 September 2008 According to Tad Murty, vice-president of the Tsunami Society, the total energy of the tsunami waves was equivalent to about 5 MtonTNT on, which is more than twice the total explosive energy used during all of World War II (including the two atomic bombs) but still a couple of orders of magnitude less than the energy released in the earthquake itself. In many places, the waves reached as far as 2 km inland.Pearce Fred Holmes Bob https://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524825.100 Tsunami: The impact will last for decades New Scientist 15 January 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20080417042254/http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524825.100 17 April 2008 Because the 1600 km -2 fault affected by the earthquake was in a nearly north–south orientation, the greatest strength of the tsunami waves was in an east–west direction. Bangladesh, which lies at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, had few casualties despite being a low-lying country relatively near the epicentre. It also benefited from the fact that the earthquake proceeded more slowly in the northern rupture zone, greatly reducing the energy of the water displacements in that region. thumb|upright=.7|Average height of the waves Coasts that have a landmass between them and the tsunami's location of origin are usually safe; however, tsunami waves can sometimes diffract around such landmasses. Thus, the Indian state of Kerala was hit by the tsunami despite being on the country's western coast, and the western coast of Sri Lanka suffered substantial impacts. Distance alone was no guarantee of safety, as Somalia was hit harder than Bangladesh despite being much farther away. Because of the distances involved, the tsunami took anywhere from fifteen minutes to seven hours to reach the coastlines.Tsunami time travel map http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226trt.htm Tsunami Laboratory, Novosibirsk, Russia 20 July 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120403182951/http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226trt.htm 3 April 2012http://staff.aist.go.jp/kenji.satake/Sumatra-E.html Time travel map: Active Fault Research Center: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan Staff.aist.go.jp 24 December 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120717104438/http://staff.aist.go.jp/kenji.satake/Sumatra-E.html 17 July 2012 The northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra were hit quickly, while Sri Lanka and the east coast of India were hit roughly 90 minutes to two hours later. Thailand was struck about two hours later despite being closer to the epicentre because the tsunami travelled more slowly in the shallow Andaman Sea off its western coast. The tsunami was noticed as far as Struisbaai in South Africa, about 8500 km away, where a 1.5 m ft 0 mid -high tide surged on shore about 16 hours after the earthquake. It took a relatively long time to reach Struisbaai at the southernmost point of Africa, probably because of the broad continental shelf off South Africa and because the tsunami would have followed the South African coast from east to west. The tsunami also reached Antarctica, where tidal gauges at Japan's Showa Base recorded oscillations of up to a metre (1 m ftin output only), with disturbances lasting a couple of days.http://www1.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/KANKYO/KAIYO/KOUHOU/iotunami/iotunami_eng.html Indian Ocean Tsunami" at Syowa Station, Antarctica Hydrographic and Oceanographic Dept. Japan Coast Guard 17 December 2016 21 June 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170621060542/http://www1.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/KANKYO/KAIYO/KOUHOU/iotunami/iotunami_eng.html live Some of the tsunami's energy escaped into the Pacific Ocean, where it produced small but measurable tsunamis along the western coasts of North and South America, typically around 200 to 400 mm.http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/IndianOSite/IndianO12-26-04.htm Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2004 West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (USGS) 31 December 2004 https://web.archive.org/web/20120204070520/http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/IndianOSite/IndianO12-26-04.htm 4 February 2012 At Manzanillo, Mexico, a tsunami with a wave height of 89.3 cm ft in was measured.NCEI Hazard Runup Information https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/tsunami/runup-more-info/6847 9 April 2025 NOAA As well, the tsunami was large enough to be detected in Vancouver, Canada, which puzzled many scientists, as the tsunamis measured in some parts of South America were larger than those measured in some parts of the Indian Ocean. It has been theorized that the tsunamis were focused and directed at long ranges by the mid-ocean ridges which run along the margins of the continental plates.Carey Bjorn http://www.livescience.com/9314-tsunami-waves-channeled-globe-2004-disaster.html Tsunami Waves Channeled Around the Globe in 2004 Disaster LiveScience 25 August 2005 17 December 2016 20 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161220140730/http://www.livescience.com/9314-tsunami-waves-channeled-globe-2004-disaster.html live Early signs and warnings thumb|Maximum recession of tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach at 10:25 a.m., prior to the third—and strongest—tsunami wave Despite a delay of up to several hours between the earthquake and the impact of the tsunami, nearly all of the victims were taken by surprise. There were no tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean to detect tsunamis or to warn the general population living around the ocean.Australian Geographic The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami 18 December 2014 http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/on-this-day/2014/12/on-this-day-in-history-boxing-day-tsunami 5 March 2015 23 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150223020344/http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/on-this-day/2014/12/on-this-day-in-history-boxing-day-tsunami live Tsunami detection is difficult because while a tsunami is in deep water, it has little height and a network of sensors is needed to detect it. Tsunamis are more frequent in the Pacific Ocean than in other oceans because of earthquakes in the "Ring of Fire". Although the extreme western edge of the Ring of Fire extends into the Indian Ocean (the point where the earthquake struck), no warning system existed in that ocean. Tsunamis there are relatively rare despite earthquakes being relatively frequent in Indonesia. The last major tsunami was caused by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. Not every earthquake produces large tsunamis: on 28 March 2005, a magnitude 8.7 earthquake hit roughly the same area of the Indian Ocean but did not result in a major tsunami. The first warning sign of a possible tsunami is the earthquake itself. However, tsunamis can strike thousands of kilometres away where the earthquake is felt only weakly or not at all. In the minutes preceding a tsunami strike, the sea sometimes recedes temporarily from the coast, which was observed on the eastern earthquake rupture zone such as the coastlines of Aceh, Phuket island and Khao Lak in Thailand, Penang island in Malaysia, and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. This rare sight reportedly induced people, especially children, to visit the coast to investigate and collect stranded fish on as much as 2.5 km of exposed beach, with fatal results.Block Melissa https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4246573 Sri Lankans Seek Lost Relatives After Tsunami All Things Considered NPR 27 December 2004 20 December 2016 23 November 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161123083140/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4246573 live However, not all tsunamis cause this "disappearing sea" effect. In some cases, there are no warning signs at all: the sea will suddenly swell without retreating, surprising many people and giving them little time to flee. thumb|left|Tsunami wave field in the Bay of Bengal an hour after the earthquake One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, close to the epicentre. Island folklore recounted an earthquake and tsunami in 1907, and the islanders fled to inland hills after the initial shaking and before the tsunami struck. These tales and oral folklore from previous generations may have helped the survival of the inhabitants.Campbell, Matthew; Loveard, Keith; et al. "Tsunami disaster: Focus: Nature's timebomb"; . Times Online. 2 January 2005. On Maikhao Beach in north Phuket City, Thailand, a 10-year-old British tourist named Tilly Smith had studied tsunamis in geography at school and recognised the warning signs of the receding ocean and frothing bubbles. She and her parents warned others on the beach, which was evacuated safely.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1480192/Girl-10-used-geography-lesson-to-save-lives.html Girl, 10, used geography lesson to save lives The Telegraph 1 January 2005 London 20 December 2016 25 January 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170125091359/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1480192/Girl-10-used-geography-lesson-to-save-lives.html live John Chroston, a biology teacher from Scotland, also recognised the signs at Kamala Bay north of Phuket, taking a busload of vacationers and locals to safety on higher ground. Anthropologists had initially expected the aboriginal population of the Andaman Islands to be badly affected by the tsunami and even feared the already depopulated Onge tribe could have been wiped out.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4135187.stm Andaman aborigines' fate unclear Subir Bhaumik 30 December 2004 BBC News 13 February 2010 12 December 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101212202153/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4135187.stm live Many of the aboriginal tribes evacuated and suffered fewer casualties, however.Gupta Manu Sharma Anshu 2006 Compounded loss: the post tsunami recovery experience of Indian island communities Disaster Prevention and Management 15 1 67–78 10.1108/09653560610654248 2006DisPM..15...67GMath Suresh Bada Girimaji‌ Satish Chandra Benegal 2006 V Uday Kumar GS Hamza A Nagaraja D Tsunami: Psychosocial aspects of Andaman and Nicobar islands. Assessments and intervention in the early phase International Review of Psychiatry 18 16753660 3 233–239 10.1080/09540260600656001 10258905 Oral traditions developed from previous earthquakes helped the aboriginal tribes escape the tsunami. For example, the folklore of the Onges talks of "huge shaking of ground followed by high wall of water". Almost all of the Onge people seemed to have survived the tsunami.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4181855.stm BBC News Subir Bhaumik Tsunami folklore 'saved islanders' 20 January 2005 20 December 2016 30 September 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090930002820/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4181855.stm live Indonesia Aceh thumbnail|Tsunami inundation height can be seen on a house in Banda Aceh The tsunami devastated the coastline of Aceh province, about 20 minutes after the earthquake. Banda Aceh, the closest major city, suffered severe casualties. The sea receded and exposed the seabed, prompting locals to collect stranded fish and explore the area. Local eyewitnesses described three large waves, with the first wave rising gently to the foundation of the buildings, followed minutes later by a sudden withdrawal of the sea near the port of Ulèë Lheuë. This was succeeded by the appearance of two large black-coloured steep waves which then travelled inland into the capital city as a large turbulent bore. Eyewitnesses described the tsunami as a "black giant", "mountain" and a "wall of water". Video footage revealed torrents of black water, surging by windows of a two-story residential area situated about 3.2 km inland. Additionally, amateur footage recorded in the middle of the city captured an approaching black surge flowing down the city streets, full of debris, inundating them.https://www.eeri.org/lfe/clearinghouse/sumatra_tsunami/reports/EERI_report_indonesia_jcb_2-11-05.pdf Field Survey northern Sumatra and Banda Aceh, Indonesia and after the Tsunami and Earthquake of 26 December 2004 Borrero Jose C. Los Angeles Department of Civil Engineering, University of Southern California 9 February 2005 20 December 2016 10 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161010004418/https://www.eeri.org/lfe/clearinghouse/sumatra_tsunami/reports/EERI_report_indonesia_jcb_2-11-05.pdf live thumb|upright=1.1|left|Apung 1, a 2,600-ton vessel, was flung some 2 km to 3 km inland. In the years following the disaster, it became a local tourist attraction and has remained where it came to rest. The level of destruction was extreme on the northwestern areas of the city, immediately inland of the aquaculture ponds, and directly facing the Indian Ocean. The tsunami height was reduced from 12 m at Ulèë Lheuë to 6 m a further 8 km to the north-east. The inundation was observed to extend 3 - 4 km 1 inland throughout the city. Within 2 - 3 km of the shoreline, houses, except for strongly-built reinforced concrete ones with brick walls, which seemed to have been partially damaged by the earthquake before the tsunami attack, were swept away or destroyed by the tsunami.http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/C2.pdf Chapter 2 Earthquake, Tsunami and Damage in Banda Aceh and Northern Sumatra tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp 20 December 2016 15 February 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170215154931/http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/C2.pdf deadBorrero Jose C. Synolakis Costas E. Fritz Hermann Northern Sumatra Field Survey after the December 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami Earthquake Spectra Earthquake Engineering Research Institute June 2006 22 S3 93–104 10.1193/1.2206793 2006EarSp..22...93B 109582188 http://2004tsunami.ce.gatech.edu/publications/sum_eqs_v22-iS3_127607eqs.pdf 25 September 2016 27 September 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160927005937/http://2004tsunami.ce.gatech.edu/publications/sum_eqs_v22-iS3_127607eqs.pdf live The area toward the sea was wiped clean of nearly every structure, while closer to the river, dense construction in a commercial district showed the effects of severe flooding. The flow depth at the city was just at the level of the second floor, and there were large amounts of debris piled along the streets and in the ground-floor storefronts. In the seaside section of Ulèë Lheuë, the flow depths were over 9 m. Footage showed evidence of back-flowing of the Aceh River, carrying debris and people from destroyed villages at the coast and transporting them up to 40 km inland.Borrero Jose C. 10 June 2005 Field Data and Satellite Imagery of Tsunami Effects in Banda Aceh Science 308 5728 1596 10.1126/science.1110957 0036-8075 15947180 9702107 A group of small islands: Weh, Breueh, Nasi, Teunom, Bunta, Lumpat, and Batee lie just north of the capital city. The tsunami reached a run-up of 10 - 20 m on the western shorelines of Breueh Island and Nasi Island. Coastal villages were destroyed by the waves. On Weh Island, strong surges were experienced in the port of Sabang, yet there was little damage with reported runup values of 3 - 5 m, most likely due to the island being sheltered from the direct attack by the islands to the south-west. thumb|upright=1.1|Overturned cement carrier in Lhoknga Lhoknga is a small coastal community about 13 km south-west of Banda Aceh, located on a flat coastal plain in between two rainforest-covered hills, overlooking a large bay and famous for its large swathe of white sandy beach and surfing activities. The locals reported 10 to 12 waves, with the second and third being the highest and most destructive. Interviews with the locals revealed that the sea temporarily receded and exposed coral reefs. In the distant horizon, gigantic black waves about 30 m high made explosion-like sounds as they broke and approached the shore. The first wave came rapidly landward from the south-west as a turbulent bore about 0.5 - 2.5 m ft high. The second and third waves were 15 - 30 m high at the coast and appeared like gigantic surfing waves but "taller than the coconut trees and was like a mountain".https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPWlFogY7Kw https://web.archive.org/web/20160911033843/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPWlFogY7Kw 11 September 2016 Seconds From Disaster S03E13 Asian Tsunami Kaget Mera 25 January 2016 Video YouTube The second wave was the largest; it came from the west-southwest within five minutes of the first wave. The tsunami stranded cargo ships, barges and destroyed a cement mining facility near the Lampuuk coast, where it reached the fourth level of the building.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEvk1oFGIO8 https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/aEvk1oFGIO8 28 October 2021 Great Tsunami 12-26-04 at Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia 3 of 3 ((red17khmer)) 30 November 2008 Video YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiD7pJl0PnA https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/hiD7pJl0PnA 28 October 2021 Boxing Day Tsunami Banda Aceh 4 of 4 geoffmackley 19 November 2009 Video YouTube thumb|Baiturrahim Mosque survived the tsunami in Ulèë Lheuë, Banda Aceh Meulaboh, a remote coastal city, was among the hardest hit by the tsunami. The waves arrived after the sea receded about 500 m, followed by an advancing small tsunami. The second and third destructive waves arrived later, which exceeded the height of the coconut trees. The inundation distance is about 5 km. Other towns on Aceh's west coast hit by the disaster included Leupung, Lhokruet, Lamno, Patek, Calang, and Teunom. Affected or destroyed towns on the region's north and east coast were Pidie Regency, Samalanga, Panteraja, and Lhokseumawe. The high fatality rate in the area was mainly due to lack of preparation of the community towards a tsunami and limited knowledge and education among the population regarding such a natural phenomenon. Helicopter surveys revealed entire settlements virtually destroyed, with destruction extending miles inland. Only a few mosques remained standing.http://faculty.vassar.edu/brmcadoo/yalciner-et-al-2005.pdf Yalciner A.C. Perincek D. Ersoy S. Presateya G. Hidayat R. McAdoo B. 2005 Report on December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean Tsunami, Field Survey on Jan 21–31 at North of Sumatra ITST of UNESCO IOC 20 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161010004216/http://faculty.vassar.edu/brmcadoo/yalciner-et-al-2005.pdf 10 October 2016 dead The greatest run-up height of the tsunami was measured at a hill between Lhoknga and Leupung, on the western coast of the northern tip of Sumatra, near Banda Aceh, and reached 51 m.http://sos.noaa.gov/Datasets/dataset.php?id=556 Tsunami Wave Run-ups: Indian Ocean – 2004 Science on a Sphere 31 March 2015 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 20 December 2016 30 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161230065143/http://sos.noaa.gov/Datasets/dataset.php?id=556 live The tsunami heights in Sumatra: 15 - 30 m on the west coast of Aceh 6 - 12 m on the Banda Aceh coast 6 m on the Krueng Raya coast 5 m on the Sigli coast 3 - 6 m on the north coast of Weh Island directly facing the tsunami source 3 m on the opposite side of the coast of Weh Island facing the tsunami Sri Lanka thumb|upright=1.1|Fishing boat stranded in Batticaloa The island country of Sri Lanka, located about 1700 km from Sumatra, was ravaged by the tsunami around two hours after the earthquake.Yoshiaki Kawata etal Comprehensive analysis of the damage and its impact on coastal zones by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster Chapter 3 Field Survey Report on the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami along the Southwestern Coast of Sri Lanka Disaster Prev. Res. Inst. Kyoto, Japan 2005 http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/C3.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060420195425/http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/C3.pdf 2006-04-20 The tsunami first struck the eastern coastline and subsequently refracted around the southern point of Sri Lanka (Dondra Head). The refracted tsunami waves then inundated the southwestern part of Sri Lanka after some of its energy was reflected from impact with the Maldives.Goff James Survey of the December 26th 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering December 2005 38 4 235–244 10.5459/bnzsee.38.4.235-244 http://www.nzsee.org.nz/db/Bulletin/Archive/38(4)0235.pdf free 2005BNZSE..38..235G 3 April 2016 27 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160127111126/http://www.nzsee.org.nz/db/Bulletin/Archive/38(4)0235.pdf live Civilian casualties here were second only to those in Indonesia, with approximately 35,000 killed. The eastern shores of the country were the hardest hit since it faced the epicentre of the earthquake, while the southwestern shores were hit later, but the death toll was just as severe. The southwestern shores are a hotspot for tourists and fishing.http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/HELGESTJ/ Tsunami Disaster in Sri Lanka Helgeson T.J. Waves of Devastation University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Spring 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20080617101155/http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/HELGESTJ/ 17 June 2008 The degradation of the natural environment in Sri Lanka contributed to the high death tolls. Approximately 90,000 buildings and many wooden houses were destroyed. The tsunami arrived on the island as a small brown-orange-coloured flood. Moments later, the ocean floor was exposed for as much as 1 km in places, which was followed by massive second and third waves. Amateur video recorded at the city of Galle showed a large deluge flooding the city, carrying debris and sweeping away people while in the coastal resort town of Beruwala, the tsunami appeared as a huge brown-orange-coloured bore which reached the first level of a hotel, causing destruction and taking people unaware. Other videos recorded showed that the tsunami appeared like a flood raging inland. The construction of seawalls and breakwaters reduced the power of waves at some locations. The largest run-up measured was at 12.5 m with inundation distance of 390 - 1500 m in Yala.Sri Lanka Field Survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Earthquake Spectra James Goff Philip L-F. Liu Bretwood Higman Robert Morton Bruce E. Jaffe Harindra Fernando Patrick Lynett Hermann Fritz Costas Synolakis Starin Fernando 1 22 S3 155–172 10.1193/1.2205897 2006 2006EarSp..22..155G 220297852 In Hambantota, run-ups measured 11 m with the greatest inundation distance of 2 km. Run-up measurements along the Sri Lankan coasts are at 2.4 - 4.11 m. Waves measured on the east coast ranged from 4.5 - 9 m at Pottuvill to Batticaloa at 2.6 - 5 m in the north-east around Trincomalee and 4 - 5 m in the west coast from Moratuwa to Ambalangoda. Sri Lanka tsunami height survey: 9 m at Koggala 6 m at Galle port 4.8 m around the Galle coast 8.7 m at Nonagama 4.9 m at Weligama 4 m at Dodanduwa 4.7 m at Ambalangoda 4.7 m at Hikkaduwa Fishery Harbour 10 m at Kahawa 4.8 m at North Beach of Beruwala 6 m at Paiyagala A regular passenger train operating between Maradana and Matara with over 1,750 passengers was derailed and subsequently overturned by the tsunami, claiming at least 1,000 lives in the largest single rail disaster death toll in history.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7795709 Observations by the International Tsunami Survey Team in Sri Lanka Science P. L.-F. Liu 1 July 2005 308 5728 1595 10.1126/science.1110730 15947179 2005Sci...308.1595L 11312069 Estimates based on the state of the shoreline and a high-water mark on a nearby building place the tsunami 7.5 - 9 m above sea level and 2 - 3 m higher than the top of the train. Thailand The tsunami travelled eastward through the Andaman Sea and hit the south-western coasts of Thailand, about 2 hours after the earthquake. Located about 500 km from the epicentre, at the time, the region was popular with tourists because of Christmas. Many of these tourists were caught off-guard by the tsunami, as they had no prior warning. The tsunami hit during high tide. Major locations damaged included the western shores of Phuket island, the resort town of Khao Lak in Phang Nga Province, the coastal provinces of Krabi, Satun, Ranong and Trang and small offshore islands like Ko Racha Yai, the Phi Phi islands, the Surin Islands and the Similan archipelago. Approximately 8,000 people were killed. Thailand experienced the second largest tsunami run-up. The tsunami heights recorded:http://www.marine.tmd.go.th/Presentation/Alexandria/The%202004%20Indian%20tsunami%20in%20Thailand%20Surveyed%20runup%20heights%20and%20tide%20gauge%20records.pdf The 2004 Indian tsunami in Thailand: Surveyed runup heights and tide gauge records Yoshinobu Tsuji Yuichi Namegaya Hiroyuki Matsumoto Sin-Iti Iwasaki Wattana Kanbua Mongkonkorn Sriwichai Vorawit Meesuk 1 Earth Planets Space 58 2 223–232 2006 10.1186/BF03353382 2006EP&S...58..223T 23896058 free 3 August 2016 21 September 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160921045321/http://www.marine.tmd.go.th/Presentation/Alexandria/The%202004%20Indian%20tsunami%20in%20Thailand%20Surveyed%20runup%20heights%20and%20tide%20gauge%20records.pdf live thumb|upright=1.1|Thai Navy boat stranded almost 2 km inland 6 - 10 m in Khao Lak 3 - 6 m along the west coast of Phuket island 3 m along the south coast of Phuket island 2 m along the east coast of Phuket island 4 - 6 m on the Phi Phi Islands 19.6 m at Ban Thung Dap 5 m at Ramson 6.8 m at Ban Thale Nok 5 m at Hat Praphat (Ranong Coastal Resources Research Station) 6.3 m at Thai Mueang District 6.8 m at Rai Dan The province of Phang Nga was the most affected area in Thailand. The quiet resort town of Khao Lak is located on a stretch of golden sandy beach, famed for its hotels overlooking the Andaman Sea and hilly rainforests. A video, taken by a local restaurant manager from a hill adjacent to the beach, showed that the tsunami's arrival was preceded by a sudden retreat of the sea exposing the seafloor. Many tourists and locals can be seen trying to gather fish. Moments later, the tsunami arrives as a wall of foaming water that slams into the coast, washing away numerous people who had no time to escape. Another amateur video, captured by a German family at beach level, showed the tsunami appearing as a white horizontal line in the distant horizon, gradually becoming bigger (bore-like), engulfing a jet skier and lifting two police boats.Yamazaki Fumio Matsuoka Masashi Warnitchai Pennung Polngam Supapis Ghosh Shubharoop 1 Tsunami Reconnaissance Survey in Thailand Using Satellite Images and GPS Asian Journal of Geoinformatics Chiba University A maximum inundation of approximately 2 km out was measured, the inundated depths were 4 - 7 m and there was evidence that the tsunami reached the third floor of a resort hotel. The tsunami in Khao Lak was bigger due to offshore coral reefs and shallow seafloor which caused the tsunami to pile-up. This was similar to eyewitness accounts of the tsunami at Banda Aceh. Khao Lak also experienced the largest tsunami run-up height outside of Sumatra.http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/C4.pdf Chapter 4: Field Survey and Numerical Simulation on the 2004 Off-Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami in Thailand Tohoku University 10 October 2015 15 February 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170215154938/http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/C4.pdf liveSeptember 2018 The highest-recorded tsunami run-up was measured 19.6 m at Ban Thung Dap, on the south-west tip of Ko Phra Thong Island and the second-highest at 15.8 m at Ban Nam Kim. Moreover, the largest death toll occurred at Khao Lak, with about 5,000 people killed. In addition, the tsunami inflicted damage to the popular resort town of Ao Nang in Krabi Province. Video footage showed that the tsunami appeared as multiple white surfs which violently lifted up yachts and boats, eventually crashing onto beaches. Footage captured at Koh Lanta showed a wall of water swamping the beach, while another video taken at another location showed a large surfing wave-like tsunami approaching the shore, lifting up a yacht and flooding the beach. At Koh Sriboya, the tsunami advanced inland as a turbulent medium bore, while at Koh Phayam, Ranong Province, the tsunami appeared as a wall of water. At Phuket Province, the island province's western beaches were struck by the tsunami. At Patong Beach, a popular tourist destination, the tsunami first arrived as a small flood, which swept away cars and surprised people. About 10 minutes later, the sea receded for a while before the tsunami arrived again as a large wall of water looming over the skyline and flooding the coast. Another video from Kamala Beach showed the tsunami flooding the ground floor of a restaurant sweeping away an elderly couple. On Karon Beach, Kamala Beach and Kata Beach, the tsunami came in like a surging flood inland carrying people and cars. On some locations, a coastal road, which was built higher than the shore, protected a hotel which was behind it. On the east coast of Phuket Island, the tsunami height was about 2 m. In one river mouth, many boats were damaged. The tsunami moved counter-clockwise around Phuket Island, as was the case at Okushiri Island in the 1993 Hokkaido earthquake. According to interviews, the second wave was the largest. The tsunami heights were 5 - 6 m and the inundated depth was about 2 m ft. The tsunami surprised many tourists at Koh Racha Yai, where it flooded the resorts. About 250 people perished directly in the tsunami. The Phi Phi Islands are a group of small islands that were affected by the tsunami. The north bay of Phi Phi Don Island opens to the north-west in the direction of the tsunami. The measured tsunami height on this beach was 5.8 m. According to eyewitness accounts, the tsunami came from the north and south. The ground level was about 2 m above sea level, where there were many cottages and hotels. The south bay opens to the south-east and faces in the opposite direction from the tsunami. Furthermore, Phi Phi Le Island shields the port of Phi Phi Don Island. The measured tsunami height was 4.6 m in the port. Amateur camcorder footage taken by Israeli tourists showed the tsunami advancing inland suddenly as a small flood, gradually becoming more powerful and engulfing the whole beach and resort, with the tsunami carrying a yacht out to sea. Moreover, the tsunami was detected by scuba divers around offshore islands like the Similan Islands and the Surin Islands. The divers reported being caught in a violent, swirling current suddenly while underwater. Local camcorder footage showed the tsunami surging inland and flooding camping equipment at the Similan Islands while the tsunami caught tourists unaware at the Surin Islands, and dragging them out towards the sea. India thumb|upright=1.1|Tree stumps and debris remain on Karaikal beach several years after the 2004 tsunami The tsunami reached the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu along the southeastern coastline of the Indian mainland about two hours after the earthquake. At the same time, it arrived in the state of Kerala, on the southwestern coast. There were two to five tsunamis that coincided with the local high tide in some areas.http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/tsunami-in-india/tsunami-affected-area-india.html Tsunami Affected Areas in India 2004 Maps of India 17 October 2015 7 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151207184649/http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/tsunami-in-india/tsunami-affected-area-india.html livehttp://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/cramerbd/%3E Zoltán Grossman – Member of the Faculty in Geography & Native Studies The Evergreen State College Olympia, Washington 9 June 2016 30 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211230015452/https://sites.evergreen.edu/zoltan/ livehttps://books.google.com/books?id=fICXQSPJwx8C Natural and Anthropogenic Disasters: Vulnerability, Preparedness and Mitigation M.K. Jha 2010 Springer Science & Business Media 9789048124985 9 June 2016 3 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161203153914/https://books.google.com/books?id=fICXQSPJwx8C livehttp://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/RP/2006_Effect_EQSpectra.pdf Effects of the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on the Indian Mainland Alpa Sheth Snigdha Sanyal Arvind Jaiswal Prathibha Gandhi 1 Earthquake Spectra 22 S3 S435–S473 June 2006 10.1193/1.2208562 2006EarSp..22..435S 110385551 4 August 2016 3 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170856/http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/RP/2006_Effect_EQSpectra.pdf live The tsunami runup height measured in mainland India by Ministry of Home Affairs includes: 3.4 m at Kerala, inundation distance of 0.5 - 1.5 km with 250 km of coastline affected 4.5 m at the southern coastline of Tamil Nadu, inundation distance of 0.2 - 2 km with 100 km of coastline affected 5 m at the eastern coastline of Tamil Nadu facing tsunami source, inundation distance of 0.4 - 1.5 km with 800 km of coastline affected 4 m at Pondicherry, inundation distance of 0.2 - 2 km with 25 km of coastline affected 2.2 m ft at Andhra Pradesh, inundation distance of 0.2 - 1 km with 985 km of coastline affected Along the coast of Tamil Nadu, the 13 km Marina Beach in Chennai was battered by the tsunami which swept across the beach taking morning walkers unaware. Amateur video recorded at a resort beach showed the tsunami arriving as a large wall of water as it approached the coast and flooding it as it advanced inland. Besides that, a 10 m black muddy tsunami ravaged the city of Karaikal, where 492 people died. The city of Pondicherry, protected by seawalls was relatively unscathed. Local video recorded that before the arrival of the tsunami, people had swarmed the beach to investigate fish that had been stranded on the sand. Furthermore, at the coastal town of Kanyakumari, the seabed was exposed briefly before a large wall of water can be seen on the horizon and subsequently flooding the town. Other footage showed the tsunami dramatically crashed into the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. The worst affected area in Tamil Nadu was Nagapattinam district, with 6,051 fatalities caused by a 5 m tsunami, followed by Cuddalore district, with many villages destroyed. Most of the people killed were members of the fishing community. Velankanni, a coastal town with a Catholic Basilica and a popular pilgrimage destination was also one of the worst hit by the tsunami that struck at around 9.30 am on that Sunday, when pilgrims who were mostly from Kerala among others were inside the church attending the Malayalam Mass. The rising sea water did not enter the shrine, but the receding waters swept away hundreds of pilgrims who were on the beach.28 December 2004 Velankanni: Death in the churchyard Rediff.com http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/28iype1.htm 21 August 2014 24 September 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924155257/http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/28iype1.htm live The shrine's compound, nearby villages, hundreds of shops, homes and pilgrims were washed away into the sea. About 600 pilgrims died.27 March 2005 Tsunami sufferers question faith BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4382689.stm 21 August 2014 2 November 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141102203253/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4382689.stm live Rescue teams extricated more than 400 bodies from the sand and rocks in the vicinity and large number of unidentified bodies were buried in mass graves. Kerala experienced tsunami-related damage in three southern densely populated districts, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, and Kollam, due to diffraction of the waves around Sri Lanka.Kurian N.P. Baba M. The 2004 Tsunami Impact on the Southeast and Southwest Coasts of India Science of Tsunami Hazards 24 2 93–101 2006 Conversely, the southernmost district of Thiruvananthapuram experienced negligible impact, a result of the wide-angle turn required for diffracted waves to reach the peninsular tip.Narayanan S. The 2004 Tsunami: Field Observations in Kerala Current Science 88 8 1235–1240 2005 The most severe destruction was concentrated along narrow land strips situated between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Kerala backwaters to the east, where the geography restricted inland evacuation.Tsunami 2004: Kerala's Response and Recovery Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Kerala 2005 Initial tidal recession preceded the surge, with the highest fatality rate recorded in the Alappad panchayat—including the villages of Cheriazheekkal and Azheekal—where waves reached heights of 4 m (13 ft) and caused approximately 131 deaths.Kerala: The Tsunami Aftermath http://www.humanrights.asia/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Kerala_Tsunami-after.pdf Asian Human Rights Commission 11 February 2026 thumb|upright=1.1|A Toyota Corolla deposited on top of a fence and various pieces of debris in Chennai Many villages in Andhra Pradesh were destroyed. In the Krishna District, the tsunami created havoc in Manginapudi and on Machalipattanam Beach. The most affected was Prakasam District, recording 35 deaths, with maximum damage at Singarayakonda. Given the enormous power of the tsunami, the fishing industry suffered the greatest. Moreover, the cost of damage in the transport sector was reported in the tens of thousands. The tsunami run-up was only 1.6 m ft in areas of Tamil Nadu shielded by the island of Sri Lanka but was 4 - 5 m in coastal districts such as Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu directly across from Sumatra. On the western coast, the runup elevations were 4.5 m at Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu and 3.4 m each at Kollam and Ernakulam districts in Kerala. The time between the waves ranged from about 15 minutes to 90 minutes.http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/cramerbd/ https://web.archive.org/web/20080208140737/http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/cramerbd/ 8 February 2008 Tsunami's Impact on India Brandon Cramer Evergreen College 22 December 2018 The tsunami varied in height from 2 m ft to 10 m ft based on survivors' accounts. The tsunami travelled 2.5 km at its maximum inland at Karaikal, Puducherry. The inundation distance varied between 1006 - 500 m in most areas, except at river mouths, where it was more than 1 km. Areas with dense coconut groves or mangroves had much smaller inundation distances, and those with river mouths or backwaters saw larger inundation distances.June 2016 Presence of seawalls at the Kerala and Tamil Nadu coasts reduced the impact of the waves. However, when the seawalls were made of loose stones, the stones were displaced and carried a few metres inland. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Due to close proximity to the earthquake, the tsunami took just minutes to devastate the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Andaman Islands were moderately affected while the island of Little Andaman and the Nicobar Islands were severely affected by the tsunami. In South Andaman Island, based on local eyewitnesses, there were three tsunami waves, with the third being the most destructive. Flooding occurred at the coast and low-lying areas inland, which were connected to open sea through creeks. Inundation was observed, along the east coast of South Andaman Island, restricted to Chidiyatapu, Burmanallah, Kodiaghat, Beadnabad, Corbyn's Cove and Marina Park/Aberdeen Jetty areas. Several near-shore establishments and numerous infrastructures such as seawalls and a 20 MW diesel-generated power plant at Bamboo Flat were destroyed.T. Ghosh, P. Jana, T.S. Giritharan, S. Bardhan, S.R. Basir, A.K. Ghosh Roy. (2007). Tsunami survey in Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands. Geological Survey of India Special Publication no. 89. 165–184. At Port Blair, the water receded before the first wave, and the third wave was the tallest and caused the most damage. Results of the tsunami survey in South Andaman along Chiriyatapu, Corbyn's Cove and Wandoor beaches:September 2018 5 m in maximum tsunami height with a run-up of 4.24 m at Chiriyatapu Beach 5.5 m in maximum tsunami height and run-up at Corbyn's Cove Beach 6.6 m in maximum tsunami height and run-up of 4.63 m at Wandoor Beach Meanwhile, in the Little Andaman, tsunami waves impinged on the eastern shore about 25 to 30 minutes after the earthquake in a four-wave cycle of which the fourth tsunami was the most devastating with a wave height of about 10 m. The tsunami destroyed settlements at Hut Bay within a range of 1 km from the seashore. Run up level up to 3.8 m have been measured. In Malacca, located on the island of Car Nicobar, there were three tsunami waves. The sea was observed to rise suddenly before the onset of the first wave. The first wave came 5 minutes after the earthquake, preceded by a recession of the sea up to 600 - 700 m.September 2018. The second and third waves came in 10-minute intervals after the first wave. The third wave was the strongest, with a maximum tsunami wave height of 11 m. Waves nearly three stories high devastated the Indian Air Force base, located just south of Malacca. The maximum tsunami wave height of 11 m.September 2018 Inundation limit was found to be up to 1.25 km inland. The impact of the waves was so severe that four oil tankers were thrown almost 800 m from the seashore near Malacca to the Air force colony main gate. In Chuckchucha and Lapati, the tsunami arrived in a three-wave cycle with a maximum tsunami wave height of 12 m. In Campbell Bay of Great Nicobar Island, the tsunami waves hit the area three times with an inundation limit of 250 - 500 m. A rise in sea level was observed before the first wave came within 5 minutes of the earthquake. The second and third waves came in 10-minute intervals after the first. The second wave was the strongest. The tsunami waves wreaked havoc in the densely populated Jogindar Nagar area, situated 13 km south of Campbell Bay.September 2018 According to local accounts,September 2018 tsunami waves attacked the area three times. The first wave came five minutes after the mainshock (0629 hrs.) with a marginal drop in sea level. The second wave came 10 minutes after the first one with a maximum height of 4.8 m to 8 m (26 ft) and caused the major destruction. The third wave came within 15 minutes after the second with lower wave height. The maximum inundation limit due to tsunami water was about 500 m. The worst affected island in the Andaman and Nicobar chain is Katchal Island, with 303 people confirmed dead and 4,354 missing out of a total population of 5,312.http://iset.org.in/pdf/souvenir%20&%20abstract%20volume/37-41.pdf Damage to Andaman & Nicobar Islands due to Earthquake and Tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004 Paul D.K. Singh Yogendra Dubey R.N. Department of Earthquake Engineering, IIT Roorkee 20 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20181001202201/http://iset.org.in/pdf/souvenir%20%26%20abstract%20volume/37-41.pdf 1 October 2018 deadhttp://andamanconnections.com/andaman_tsunami.html Tsunami in Andaman & Nicobar Islands Andamanconnections.com 20 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161216080235/http://andamanconnections.com/andaman_tsunami.html 16 December 2016 deadPomonis Antonios https://www.istructe.org/downloads/resources-centre/technical-topic-area/eefit/eefit-reports/indian-ccean-tsunami.pdf The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2004: Mission Findings in Sri Lanka and Thailand Rossetto Tiziana Peiris Navin Wilkinson Sean Del Re Domenico Koo Raymond Manlapig Raul Gallocher Stewart February 2006 Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team, Institution of Structural Engineers 978-0-901297-41-9 London Tiziana Rossetto 25 September 2016 27 September 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160927005453/https://www.istructe.org/downloads/resources-centre/technical-topic-area/eefit/eefit-reports/indian-ccean-tsunami.pdf live The significant shielding of Port Blair and Campbell Bay by steep mountainous outcrops contributed to the relatively low wave heights at these locations, whereas the open terrain along the eastern coast at Malacca and Hut Bay contributed to the great height of the tsunami waves.http://www.nicee.org/SumatraEQ_India_IITK_QuickReport.pdf Quick Report on the Study of the 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami Effects Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur 21 December 2016 10 October 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171010152754/http://www.nicee.org/SumatraEQ_India_IITK_QuickReport.pdf live Reports of tsunami wave height:https://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/india_tsunami_eeri_report.pdf The Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004: The Effects in Mainland India and in the Andaman-Nicobar Islands EERI Special Earthquake Report April 2005 21 December 2016 10 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161010004407/https://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/india_tsunami_eeri_report.pdf liveM. V. Ramanamurthy S. Sundaramoorthy Y. Pari V. Ranga Rao P. Mishra M. Bhat Tune Usha R. Venkatesan B. R. Subramanian 1 http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/jun102005/1736.pdf 1736–1740 Current Science 88 11 10 June 2005 Inundation of sea water in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Tamil Nadu coast during 2004 Sumatra tsunami 25 September 2016 27 September 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160927083425/http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/jun102005/1736.pdf live 1.5 m at Diglipur and Rangat at North Andaman Island 8 m high at Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island 10 - 12 m high at Malacca (in Car Nicobar Island) and at Hut Bay on Little Andaman Island 3 m high at Port Blair on South Andaman Island Maldives The tsunami severely affected the Maldives at a distance of 2500 km from the epicentre. Similar to Sri Lanka, survivors reported three waves with the second wave being the most powerful. Being rich in coral reefs, the Maldives provides an opportunity for scientists to assess the impact of a tsunami on coral atolls. The significantly lower tsunami impact on the Maldives compared to Sri Lanka is mostly due to the topography and bathymetry of the atoll chain with offshore coral reefs, deep channels separating individual atolls and its arrival within low tide which decreased the power of the tsunami.Fritz Hermann M. Synolakis Costas E. McAdoo Brian G. Maldives Field Survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Earthquake Spectra June 2006 22 3_suppl 137–154 10.1193/1.2201973 2006EarSp..22..137F After the tsunami, there was some concern that the country might be submerged entirely and become uninhabitable. However, this was proven untrue. The highest tsunami wave measured was 4 m at Vilufushi Island. The tsunami arrived approximately two hours after the earthquake. The greatest tsunami inundation occurred at North Male Atoll, Male Island at 250 m along the streets.Liu Philip L.-F. Lynett Patrick Fernando Harindra Jaffe Bruce E. Fritz Hermann Higman Bretwood Morton Robert Goff James Synolakis Costas Observations by the International Tsunami Survey Team in Sri Lanka Science 10 June 2005 308 5728 1595 10.1126/science.1110730 15947179 2005Sci...308.1595L Local footage recorded showed the tsunami flooding the streets up to knee level in town, while another video taken at the beach showed the tsunami slowly flooding and gradually surging inland. The Maldives tsunami wave analysis: 1.3 - 2.4 m at North Male Atoll, Male Island 2 m at North Male Atoll, Huhule Island 1.7 - 2.8 m at South Male Atoll, Embudhu Finothu 2.5 - 3.3 m at Laamu Atoll, Fonadhoo Island 2.2 - 2.9 m at Laamu Atoll, Gan Island 2.3 - 3 m at North Male Atoll, Dhiffushi Island 2.2 - 2.4 m at North Male Atoll, Huraa Island more than 1.5 m at North Male Atoll, Kuda Huraa Island Myanmar In Myanmar, the tsunami caused only moderate damage, which arrived between 2 and 5.5 hours after the earthquake. Although the country's western Andaman Sea coastline lies at the proximity of the rupture zone, there were smaller tsunamis than the neighbouring Thai coast, because the main tsunami source did not extend to the Andaman Islands. Another factor is that some coasts of Taninthayi Division were protected by the Myeik Archipelago. Based on scientific surveys from the Irrawaddy Delta through Taninthayi Division, it was revealed that tsunami heights along the Myanmar coast were between 0.4 - 2.9 m. Eyewitnesses compared the tsunami with the "rainy-season high tide"; although at most locations, the tsunami height was similar or smaller than the "rainy-season high tide" level.https://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/2006/5802/58020243.pdf Kenji Satake Than Tin Aung Yuki Sawai Yukinobu Okamura 1 Tsunami heights and damage along the Myanmar coast from the December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake Earth Planets Space 58 2 243–252 2006 22 December 2018 10.1186/BF03353384 2006EP&S...58..243S 129597697 free 4 October 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181004032411/https://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/2006/5802/58020243.pdf live Tsunami survey heights:September 2018 0.6 - 2.3 m around the Irrawaddy delta 0.9 - 2.9 m at Dawei area 0.7 - 2.2 m around Myeik 0.4 - 2.6 m around Kawthaung Interviews with residents indicate that they did not feel the earthquake in Taninthayi Division or the Irrawaddy Delta. The 71 casualties can be attributed to poor housing infrastructure and additionally, the fact that the coastal residents in the surveyed areas live on flat land along the coast, especially in the Irrawaddy Delta, and that there is no higher ground to which to evacuate. The tsunami heights from the earthquake were not more than 3 m along the Myanmar coast, the amplitudes were slightly large off the Irrawaddy Delta, probably because the shallow delta caused a concentration in tsunami energy. Somalia The tsunami travelled 5000 km west across the open ocean before striking the East African country of Somalia. Around 289 fatalities were reported in the Horn of Africa, drowned by four tsunami waves. The hardest-hit was a 650 km stretch of coastline between Garacad (Mudug region) and Hafun (Bari region), which forms part of Puntland province. Most of the victims were reported along the low-lying Xaafuun Peninsula.http://2004tsunami.ce.gatech.edu/publications/som_eqs_v22-iS3_106607eqs.pdf Somalia Field Survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Hermann M. Fritz Jose C. Borrero 10.1193/1.2201972 Earthquake Spectra 22 S3 S219–S233 June 2006 2006EarSp..22..219F 220297402 22 December 2018 24 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210224013252/http://2004tsunami.ce.gatech.edu/publications/som_eqs_v22-iS3_106607eqs.pdf live The Puntland coast in northern Somalia was by far the area hardest hit by the waves to the west of the Indian subcontinent. The waves arrived around noon local time. Consequently, tsunami runup heights vary from 5 m to 9 m with inundation distances varying from 44 m to 704 m. The maximum runup height of almost 9 m was recorded in Bandarbeyla. An even higher runup point was measured on a cliff near the town of Eyl, solely on an eyewitness account. The highest death toll was in Hafun, with 19 dead and 160 people presumed missing out of its 5,000 inhabitants. This was the highest number of casualties in a single African town and the largest tsunami death toll in a single town to the west of the Indian subcontinent. Small drawbacks were observed before the third and most powerful tsunami wave flooded the town. Other locations thumb|upright=1.1|Flooding in George Town, Malaysia The tsunami also reached Malaysia, mainly on the northern states such as Kedah, Perak and Penang and on offshore islands such as Langkawi island. Peninsular Malaysia was shielded by the full force of the tsunami due to the protection offered by the island of Sumatra, which lies just off the western coast.https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tsunami-death-toll-passes-283-000-20050128-gdkkw6.html Tsunami death toll passes 283,000 28 January 2005 The Sydney Morning Herald 10 January 2020 15 November 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191115041926/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tsunami-death-toll-passes-283-000-20050128-gdkkw6.html live Bangladesh escaped major damage and deaths because the water displaced by the strike-slip fault was relatively little on the northern section of the rupture zone, which ruptured slowly. In Yemen, the tsunami killed two people with a maximum runup of 2 m ft.http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=1136&Itemid=1136 International Tsunami Information Center – International Tsunami Information Center itic.ioc-unesco.org 17 October 2015 19 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160419214841/http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=1136&Itemid=1136 live The tsunami was detected in the southern parts of east Africa, where rough seas were reported, specifically on the eastern and southern coasts that face the Indian Ocean. A few other African countries also recorded fatalities; one in Kenya, three in Seychelles, ten in Tanzania, and South Africa, where two were killed as a direct result of the tsunami—the furthest from the epicentre.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241273975 Field Surveys of 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami From Sumatra to East Africa Hermann M. Fritz Jose C. Borrero Costas E. Synolakis Emile A. Okal 1 January 2006 29 January 2018 30 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211230015407/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241273975_FIELD_SURVEYS_OF_2004_INDIAN_OCEAN_TSUNAMI_FROM_SUMATRA_TO_EAST_AFRICA livehttps://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/42307/103954_Unesco_Yemen_Tsunami_FzOk3.pdf?sequence=1 Unesco Yemen Tsunami smartech.gatech.edu 13 November 2017 10 October 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171010152811/https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/42307/103954_Unesco_Yemen_Tsunami_FzOk3.pdf?sequence=1 live Tidal surges also occurred along the Western Australian coast that lasted for several hours, resulting in boats losing their moorings and two people needing to be rescued.https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/wa-feels-the-tsunamis-ripples-20041229-gdke6z.html WA feels the tsunami's ripples 28 December 2004 The Sydney Morning Herald 10 January 2020 22 September 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190922000416/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/wa-feels-the-tsunamis-ripples-20041229-gdke6z.html live Impact Countries affected Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami thumb|upright=1.5|red severe damage and loss of lifeorange moderate damage and some loss of lifeyellow minor damage and no loss of lifedodgerblue loss of citizens abroadA received damages and loss of citizens abroad According to the final report of the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition, a total of 227,898 people died. Another common total, as given by the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, is 229,866 dead.UN Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery The Human Toll http://www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/country/humantoll.asp January 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060423184048/http://www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/country/humantoll.asp 23 April 2006 Measured in lives lost, this is one of the ten worst earthquakes in recorded history, as well as the single worst tsunami in history. Indonesia was the worst affected area, with most death toll estimates at around 170,000.http://www.islamicreliefusa.org/home?aspxerrorpath=/404.aspx Home Islamic Relief USA 12 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110119163003/http://www.islamicreliefusa.org/home?aspxerrorpath=/404.aspx 19 January 2011 live The death toll for Indonesia alone may be as high as 172,761 lives.Parwanto Novia Budi Oyama Tatsuo 2014 A statistical analysis and comparison of historical earthquake and tsunami disasters in Japan and Indonesia International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 7 122–141 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2013.10.003 2014IJDRR...7..122P 2212-4209 An initial report by Siti Fadilah Supari, the Indonesian Minister of Health at the time, estimated the death total to be as high as 220,000 in Indonesia, giving a total of 280,000 fatalities.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4204385.stm Indonesia quake toll jumps again BBC News 25 January 2005 24 December 2012 21 August 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210821153214/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4204385.stm live However, the estimated number of dead and missing in Indonesia were later reduced by over 50,000. In their report, the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition stated, "It should be remembered that all such data are subject to error, as data on missing persons especially are not always as good as one might wish".Telford John https://cdn.sida.se/publications/files/sida61330en-joint-evaluation-of-the-international-response-to-the-indian-ocean-tsunami.pdf Joint Evaluation of the International Response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami: Synthesis Report Cosgrave John Tsunami Evaluation Coalition 2006 0-85003-807-3 London 159 A much higher number of deaths has been suggested for Myanmar based on reports from Thailand. The tsunami caused severe damage and deaths as far as the east coast of Africa, with the furthest recorded fatality directly attributed to the tsunami at Rooi-Els, close to Cape Town, 8000 km from the epicentre.Hundreds of thousands of people killed as tsunamis devastate large swathes of South and Southeast Asia, coming as far as South Africa https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/hundreds-thousands-people-killed-tsunamis-devastate-large-swathes-south-and-southeast 15 November 2022 South African History Online 15 November 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221115221227/https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/hundreds-thousands-people-killed-tsunamis-devastate-large-swathes-south-and-southeast live Relief agencies reported that one third of the dead appeared to be children. This was a result of the high proportion of children in the populations of many of the affected regions and because children were the least able to resist being overcome by the surging waters. Oxfam went on to report that as many as four times more women than men were killed in some regions because they were waiting on the beach for the fishers to return and looking after their children in the houses.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4383573.stm Most tsunami dead female – Oxfam BBC News 26 March 2005 24 December 2012 26 July 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080726142516/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4383573.stm live States of emergency were declared in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Maldives. The United Nations estimated at the outset that the relief operation would be the costliest in human history.September 2018 Then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that reconstruction would probably take between five and ten years. Governments and non-governmental organizations feared that the final death toll might double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response.September 2018 In addition to a large number of local residents, up to 9,000 foreign tourists (mostly Europeans) enjoying the peak holiday travel season were among the dead or missing, especially people from the Nordic countries.A2/2004Y Aasian luonnonkatastrofi 26.12.2004 https://turvallisuustutkinta.fi/fi/index/tutkintaselostukset/muutonnettomuudet/tutkintaselostuksetvuosittain/muutonnettomuudet2004/a22004yaasianluonnonkatastrofi26.12.2004.html Onnettomuustutkintakeskus fi 26 December 2004 26 December 2019 25 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210725132234/https://turvallisuustutkinta.fi/fi/index/tutkintaselostukset/muutonnettomuudet/tutkintaselostuksetvuosittain/muutonnettomuudet2004/a22004yaasianluonnonkatastrofi26.12.2004.html live Sweden was the European country most severely affected both in absolute numbers, and by a wide margin when considered in relation to the country's population, with a death toll of 543. France was close behind with a death toll of 542 followed by Germany with 539 identified victims. Affected countrya aConfirmed deathsEstimated deathsb bInjuredMissingDisplacedRefIndonesia Indonesia130,736167,54037,063500,000+Meisl, C.S. Safaie S. Elwood K.J. Gupta R. Kowsari R. 2006 Housing Reconstruction in Northern Sumatra after the December 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami Earthquake Spectra 10.1193/1.2201668 22 3_suppl 777–802 2006EarSp..22..777M 110185015Sri Lanka Sri Lanka35,322c c35,32221,411516,150http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/dec2005/sri2-d29.shtml One year after the tsunami, Sri Lankan survivors still live in squalour World Socialist Web Site 29 December 2005 24 December 2012 23 November 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121123063125/http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/dec2005/sri2-d29.shtml liveIndia India12,40516,2693,874647,599Thailand Thailand5,395d d8,2128,4572,8177,000http://www.tsunamimemorial.or.th/information.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20070928063502/http://www.tsunamimemorial.or.th/information.htm 28 September 2007 TsunamiMemorial.or.th 28 September 2007 24 December 2012Schwartz, D. Goldberg A. Ashenasi I. Nakash G. Leiba A. Levei Y. Bar-Dayan Y. 2006 Prehospital care of tsunami victims in Thailand: description and analysis Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 21 3 204–210 16892886 10.1017/S1049023X0000368X 25251413Somalia Somalia782895,000Martin Plaut http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4560246.stm Tsunami: Somalia's slow recovery BBC News 26 December 2005 24 December 2012 1 December 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121201090554/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4560246.stm livehttp://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/UNID/D39A0A882D6A7E9985256F82006A1158?OpenDocument India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Somalia, Thailand: Earthquake and Tsunami OCHA Situation Report No. 14 ReliefWeb 12 August 2010 7 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080507034200/http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/UNID/D39A0A882D6A7E9985256F82006A1158?OpenDocument liveMyanmar 1974 Myanmar61400–600452003,200http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4145489.stm Asia-Pacific | 'Hundreds feared dead' in Burma BBC News 4 January 2005 24 December 2012 4 November 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121104164106/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4145489.stm liveMaldives Maldives821082615,000+http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv/?action=situationAssesment https://web.archive.org/web/20090617182704/http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv/?action=situationAssesment 17 June 2009 TsunamiMaldives.mv 24 December 2012http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/UNICEF_Tsunami_Maldives_2006report.pdf The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster: Evaluation of UNICEF's response (emergency and recovery phase). Maldives Report UNICEF May 2006 i 26 June 2011 18 January 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120118182452/http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/UNICEF_Tsunami_Maldives_2006report.pdf deadMalaysia Malaysia687529965000+english@peopledaily.com.cn http://english.people.com.cn/200501/13/eng20050113_170555.html Death toll in Asian tsunami disaster tops 159,000 People's Daily 13 January 2005 12 August 2010 9 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110609220247/http://english.people.com.cn/200501/13/eng20050113_170555.html livehttp://www.channelnewsasia.com/killerwaves https://web.archive.org/web/20121023160459/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/killerwaves 23 October 2012 Killer Waves Channel NewsAsia 24 December 2012Tanzania Tanzania10133http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200501/s1275702.htm Asian tsunami death toll passes 144,000 ABC Australia 3 January 2005 12 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090617042814/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200501/s1275702.htm 17 June 2009 deadSeychelles Seychelles3357200http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6KH4KY?OpenDocument The Seychelles raises its voice 4 November 2005 12 August 2010 6 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080506125422/http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6KH4KY?OpenDocument livehttp://www.alnap.org/tec/pdf/TEC_initial_report_20051223_finalversion.pdf Tsunami Evaluation Coalition: Initial Findings 12 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20060324222422/http://www.alnap.org/tec/pdf/TEC_initial_report_20051223_finalversion.pdf 24 March 2006Bangladesh Bangladesh22Ioualalen M. Pelinovsky E. Asavanant J. Lipikorn R. Deschamps A. 2007 On the weak impact of the 26 December Indian Ocean tsunami on the Bangladesh coast Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 7 1 141–147 10.5194/nhess-7-141-2007 2007NHESS...7..141I freeSouth Africa South Africa2e e2Okal, E.A. Hartnady C.J. The South Sandwich Islands earthquake of 27 June 1929: seismological study and inference on tsunami risk for the southern Atlantic South African Journal of Geology 112 359–370 10.2113/gssajg.112.3-4.359 http://www.africaarray.psu.edu/publications/pdfs/359_370%20Okal_Hartnady.pdf 26 June 2011 2010 3–4 17 April 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120417062833/http://www.africaarray.psu.edu/publications/pdfs/359_370%20Okal_Hartnady.pdf liveYemen Yemen22http://www.irinnews.org/report/24885/yemen-tsunami-damage-over-us-1-million-unep-assessment YEMEN: Tsunami damage over US$1 million – UNEP assessment The New Humanitarian 22 February 2005 24 December 2012 26 March 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140326175227/http://www.irinnews.org/report/24885/yemen-tsunami-damage-over-us-1-million-unep-assessment liveKenya Kenya112Madagascar Madagascar1,000+http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4129639.stm Tsunami devastates Somali island BBC News 29 December 2004 24 December 2012 10 February 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090210044854/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4129639.stm liveTotal estimates184,167227,898125,00043,7891,740,000a a This table refers only to countries directly affected by the tsunami, not to countries whose citizens were affected while overseas. b b Includes those reported under 'Confirmed'. If no separate estimates are available, the number in this column is the same as reported under 'Confirmed'. c c Does not include approximately 19,000 missing people initially declared by Tamil Tiger authorities from regions under their control. d d Data includes at least 2,464 foreigners. e e Does not include South African citizens who died outside of South Africa (e.g., tourists in Thailand). Environmental impact thumb|left|upright=1.2|Tsunami inundation in Khao Lak, Thailand Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake caused an enormous environmental impact that affected the region for many years. Severe damage was inflicted on ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests, coastal wetlands, vegetation, sand dunes and rock formations, animal and plant biodiversity and groundwater. Also, the spread of solid and liquid waste and industrial chemicals, water pollution and the destruction of sewage collectors and treatment plants threatened the environment even further. The environmental impact took a long time and significant resources to assess.Impact of Tsunamis on Ecosystems United Nations Atlas of the Oceans 10 March 2005 http://www.oceansatlas.org/id/71687 https://web.archive.org/web/20080820112413/http://www.oceansatlas.org/id/71687 dead 20 August 2008 The main effect was caused by poisoning of the freshwater supplies and of the soil by saltwater infiltration and a deposit of a salt layer over arable land. In the Maldives, 16 to 17 coral reef atolls that were overcome by sea waves are without fresh water and could be rendered uninhabitable for decades. Uncountable wells that served communities were invaded by sea, sand, and earth, and aquifers were invaded through porous rock. On the island's east coast, the tsunami contaminated wells on which many villagers relied for drinking water. The Colombo-based International Water Management Institute monitored the effects of saltwater and concluded that the wells recovered to pre-tsunami drinking water quality one-and-a-half years after the event.Helping restore the quality of drinking water after the tsunami 2010 http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Success_Stories/PDF/2010/Issue%207%20-%20Helping_restore_the_quality_of_drinking_water_after_the_tsunami.pdf International Water Management Institute Success Stories 10 11 August 2021 2 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302022712/http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Success_Stories/PDF/2010/Issue%207%20-%20Helping_restore_the_quality_of_drinking_water_after_the_tsunami.pdf live The IWMI developed protocols for cleaning wells contaminated by saltwater; these were subsequently officially endorsed by the World Health Organization as part of its series of Emergency Guidelines.Water sanitation and health: WHO technical notes for emergencies. https://web.archive.org/web/20160212053301/http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/envsan/technotes/en/ 12 February 2016 Page. Retrieved 25 February 2011 Salted-over soil becomes infertile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for agriculture. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. Thousands of rice, mango, and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely and will take years to recover. In addition to other forms of aid,Indian Ocean tsunami 19 December 2014 https://www.dfat.gov.au/news/news/Pages/indian-ocean-tsunami Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government 11 August 2021 11 August 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210811212536/https://www.dfat.gov.au/news/news/Pages/indian-ocean-tsunami live the Australian government sent ecological experts to help develop strategies for reef-monitoring and rehabilitation of marine environments and coral reefs in the Maldives, Seychelles and other areas. Scientists had developed significant ecological expertise from work with the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia's northeastern waters.Australia's response to the Indian Ocean tsunami REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 30 JUNE 2005 2005 Commonwealth of Australia https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/34F36A2FE297C7BD49257074001D828E-ausaid-tsunami-06sep.pdf 11 August 2021 11 August 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210811211831/https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/34F36A2FE297C7BD49257074001D828E-ausaid-tsunami-06sep.pdf live In response to the unprecedented situation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) worked with governments in the region to determine the severity of the ecological impact and how to address it.Environmental Issues Emerging from Wreckage of Asian Tsunami https://www.un.org/press/en/2004/unep255.doc.htm United Nations 3 October 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20050111221153/http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=414&ArticleID=4692&l=en 11 January 2005 30 December 2004 unfit UNEP established an emergency fund, set up a Task Force to respond to requests for assistance from countries affected by the tsunami, and was able to mobilize and distribute approximately US$9.3 million for environmental recovery and disaster risk reduction between 2004 and 2007. Funding came from other international agencies and from countries including Finland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.UNEP Post-Tsunami Recover y Activities 2004-2007 2008 UNEP Post-Tsunami Recover y Activities 2004-2007 United Nations Environment Programme https://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/PT_recovery.pdf 11 August 2021 11 August 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210811210519/https://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/PT_recovery.pdf livehttp://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=434&ArticleID=4818&l=en United Nations Environment Programme; Environment for Development 22 April 2006 http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20060412095140/http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=434&ArticleID=4818&l=en 12 April 2006 live Evidence suggested that the presence of mangroves in coastal areas had provided some protection, when compared to areas that had been cleared for aquaculture or development. As a result, mangrove restoration become a focus of a number of projects, with varied success. Such approaches to ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction appear to be most successful when local communities are closely involved as stakeholders throughout the process, and when careful attention is paid to the physical conditions of chosen sites to ensure that mangroves can thrive there.Zimmer Katarina Many mangrove restorations fail. Is there a better way? Knowable Magazine 22 July 2021 10.1146/knowable-072221-1 https://knowablemagazine.org/article/food-environment/2021/many-mangrove-restorations-fail 11 August 2021 free 16 August 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210816114657/https://knowablemagazine.org/article/food-environment/2021/many-mangrove-restorations-fail live subscription Economic impact thumb|upright=1.2|Chennai's Marina Beach after the tsunami The level of damage to the economy resulting from the tsunami depends on the scale examined. While the overall impact on the national economies was minor, local economies were devastated. The two main occupations most affected by the tsunami were fishing and tourism.Gunatillake Daya The 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka: Destruction and recovery Geography 2007 92 3 285–293 10.1080/00167487.2007.12094208 40574342 Some economists believe that damage to the affected national economies will be minor because losses in the tourism and fishing industries are a relatively small percentage of the GDP. However, others caution that damage to infrastructure is an overriding factor. In some areas drinking water supplies and farm fields may have been contaminated for years by saltwater from the ocean.Pearce, Fred. "Tsunami's salt water may leave islands uninhabitable." New Scientist. 5 January 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20080422084629/http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6840 22 April 2008 The impact on coastal fishing communities and the people living there, some of the poorest in the region, has been devastating with high losses of income earners as well as boats and fishing gear.http://www.ukabc.org/tsunamis.htm Tsunamis Devastate Fisherfolk of Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea ukabc.org 11 March 2019 3 March 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190303024418/http://www.ukabc.org/tsunamis.htm livehttps://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/70B417968D5FCDD0C1256F8400498CE6-fao-souasi-7jan.pdf Impacts of the Tsunami on Fisheries, Aquaculture and Coastal Livelihoods 7 January 2005 ReliefWeb 10 March 2019 8 March 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210308062132/https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/70B417968D5FCDD0C1256F8400498CE6-fao-souasi-7jan.pdf live In Sri Lanka, artisanal fishery, in which the use of fish baskets, fishing traps, and spears are commonly used, is an important source of fish for local markets; industrial fishery is the major economic activity, providing direct employment to about 250,000 people. In recent years the fishery industry has emerged as a dynamic export-oriented sector, generating substantial foreign exchange earnings. Preliminary estimates indicated that 66% of the fishing fleet and industrial infrastructure in coastal regions were destroyed by the wave surges.https://reliefweb.int/report/indonesia/food-supply-and-food-security-situation-countries-affected-asia-tsunami Food supply and food security situation in countries affected by the Asia tsunami – Indonesia ReliefWeb 18 February 2005 11 March 2019 21 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200121122102/https://reliefweb.int/report/indonesia/food-supply-and-food-security-situation-countries-affected-asia-tsunami live While the tsunami destroyed many of the boats vital to Sri Lanka's fishing industry, it also created a demand for fibreglass-reinforced plastic catamarans in the boatyards of Tamil Nadu. Given that over 51,000 vessels were lost to the tsunami, the industry boomed. However, the huge demand has led to lower quality in the process, and some important materials were sacrificed to cut prices for those who were impoverished by the tsunami.http://www.bobpigo.org/bbn/sep_06/pages10-12.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20110624095558/http://www.bobpigo.org/bbn/sep_06/pages10-12.pdf 24 June 2011 Demand for FRP boats rise after tsunami 12 August 2010 dead Even though only coastal regions were directly affected by the waters of the tsunami, the indirect effects have spread to inland provinces as well. Since the media coverage of the event was so extensive, many tourists cancelled vacations and trips to that part of the world, even though their travel destinations may not have been affected. This ripple effect could especially be felt in the inland provinces of Thailand, such as Krabi, which acted as a starting point for many other tourist destinations in Thailand.Rigg, Johnathan Lisa Lawt May Tan-Mullins Carl Grundy-Warr The Indian Ocean Tsunami: Socio-Economic Impacts in Thailand. The Geographical Journal December 2005 171 4 374–379 3451210 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2005.00175_3.x 2005GeogJ.171..374R http://dro.dur.ac.uk/1284/1/1284.pdf?DDD14+dgg0cnm 20 March 2019 24 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200724141017/http://dro.dur.ac.uk/1284/1/1284.pdf?DDD14+dgg0cnm live Countries in the region appealed to tourists to return, pointing out that most tourist infrastructure is undamaged. However, tourists were reluctant to do so for psychological reasons. Even beach resorts in parts of Thailand which were untouched by the tsunami were hit by cancellations.Chapter 6, "Thailand", in Jayasuriya, Sisira and Peter McCawley, The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction after a Disaster https://web.archive.org/web/20110722005138/http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/Bookentry_Main.lasso?id=13668 22 July 2011 . Cheltenham UK and Northampton MA: Edward Elgar, 2010. Both the earthquake and the tsunami may have affected shipping in the Malacca Straits, which separate Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, by changing the depth of the seabed and by disturbing navigational buoys and old shipwrecks. In one area of the Strait, water depths were previously up to 4000 ft m flip, and are now only 100 ft m flip in some areas, making shipping impossible and dangerous. These problems also made the delivery of relief aid more challenging. Compiling new navigational charts may take months or years. Officials also hoped that piracy in the region would drop off, since the tsunami had killed pirates and destroyed their boats.Staff Writer. "Tsunami redrew ship channels, ocean floor." NBC News/Associated Press. 5 January 2005. Due to multiple factors, there was a 71.6% drop in the number of piracy incidents between 2004 and 2005, from 60 to 17 incidents. Levels remained relatively low for some years. However, between 2013 and 2014, piracy incidents rose dramatically by 73.2% to exceed pre-tsunami levels.Birchard Emma Louise Piracy in the Strait of Malacca: The geopolitical background behind piracy and its impacts on Global Financial Centres https://theses.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/123456789/10228/Birchard%2C_Emma_Louise_1.pdf?sequence=1 Radboud University 2020 11 August 2021 11 August 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210811200130/https://theses.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/123456789/10228/Birchard,_Emma_Louise_1.pdf?sequence=1 live Historical context Library damage resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake Indonesia Sumatra right Earthquakes in Sumatra Of the ten strongest Indonesian earthquakes ≥ 8.3 Mw, six occurred near Sumatra Indonesia Sumatra 3.316 95.854 right 2004 Indonesia Sumatra -2.5 100.5 right 1833 Indonesia Sumatra 2.09 97.15 right 2005 Indonesia Sumatra 1.0 97.5 right 1861 Indonesia Sumatra -4.52 101.374 right 2007 Indonesia Sumatra -1.0 99.0 right 1797 The last major tsunami in the Indian Ocean was about A.D. 1400.Palmer Jason http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7697482.stm Tsunami in 2004 'not the first' BBC News 29 October 2008 12 August 2010 15 February 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090215121702/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7697482.stm livehttp://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2008-10-30/researchers-uncover-2004-tsunami-predecessor/35702 Researchers uncover 2004 tsunami predecessor ABC Radio Australia News 30 October 2008 13 April 2011 17 December 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131217213901/http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2008-10-30/researchers-uncover-2004-tsunami-predecessor/35702 live In 2008, a team of scientists working on Phra Thong, a barrier island along the hard-hit west coast of Thailand, reported evidence of at least three previous major tsunamis in the preceding 2,800 years, the most recent from about 700 years ago. A second team found similar evidence of previous tsunamis in Aceh, a province at the northern tip of Sumatra; radiocarbon dating of bark fragments in the soil below the second sand layer led the scientists to estimate that the most recent predecessor to the 2004 tsunami probably occurred between A.D. 1300 and 1450.http://newswise.com/articles/view/545772/ Scientists Find Evidence of Tsunamis on Indian Ocean Shores Long Before 2004 Newswise.com 27 October 2008 24 December 2012 31 May 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130531090402/http://newswise.com/articles/view/545772/ live The 2004 earthquake and tsunami combined is the world's deadliest natural disaster since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. The earthquake was the third-most-powerful earthquake recorded since 1900. The deadliest-known earthquake in history occurred in 1556 in Shaanxi, China, with an estimated death toll of 830,000, though figures from this period may not be as reliable.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/most_destructive.php Most Destructive Known Earthquakes on Record in the World (Earthquakes with 50,000 or More Deaths) United States Geological Survey https://web.archive.org/web/20090901233953/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/most_destructive.php 1 September 2009 Before 2004, the tsunami created in both Indian and Pacific Ocean waters by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, thought to have resulted in anywhere from 36,000 to 120,000 deaths, had probably been the deadliest in the region. In 1782, about 40,000 people are thought to have been killed by a tsunami (or a cyclone) in the South China Sea.Lau A. Y. A. Switzer A. D. Dominey-Howes D. Aitchison J. C. Zong Y. Written records of historical tsunamis in the northeastern South China Sea – challenges associated with developing a new integrated database Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 1 September 2010 10 9 1793–1806 10.5194/nhess-10-1793-2010 http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/1793/2010/nhess-10-1793-2010.pdf 2010NHESS..10.1793L free 6 August 2013 6 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200706180220/https://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/1793/2010/nhess-10-1793-2010.pdf live The deadliest tsunami before 2004 was Italy's 1908 Messina earthquake on the Mediterranean Sea where the earthquake and tsunami killed about 123,000.https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/the-world-s-worst-natural-disasters-1.743208 The world's worst natural disasters CBC News 31 August 2010 19 October 2019 19 January 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110119154212/http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/05/08/f-natural-disasters-history.html live Other effects thumb|upright=1.2|Tsunami aftermath in Aceh, Indonesia Many health professionals and aid workers have reported widespread psychological trauma associated with the tsunami.Frankenberg Elizabeth Friedman Jed Gillespie Thomas Ingwersen Nicholas Pynoos Robert Rifai Iip Umar Sikoki Bondan Steinberg Alan Sumantri Cecep Suriastini Wayan Thomas Duncan September 2008 Mental Health in Sumatra After the Tsunami American Journal of Public Health 98 9 1671–1677 10.2105/AJPH.2007.120915 0090-0036 2509591 18633091 Even 14 years afterwards, researchers find HPA axis dysregulation and "burnout" in survivors.Lawton Ralph Frankenberg Elizabeth Seeman Teresa Crimmins Eileen Sumantri Cecep Thomas Duncan 16 October 2023 Exposure to the Indian Ocean Tsunami shapes the HPA-axis resulting in HPA "burnout" 14 years later Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120 44 e2306497120 10.1073/pnas.2306497120 37844215 10622908 2023PNAS..12006497L 0027-8424 free Traditional beliefs in many of the affected regions state that a relative of the family must bury the body of the dead, and in many cases, no body remained to be buried. The hardest-hit area, Aceh, is a religiously conservative Islamic society and has had no tourism nor any Western presence in recent years due to the insurgency between the Indonesian military and Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Some believe that the tsunami was divine punishment for lay Muslims shirking their daily prayers or following a materialistic lifestyle. Others have said that Allah was angry that Muslims were killing each other in an ongoing conflict.Broadway, Bill. "Divining a Reason for Devastation"; https://web.archive.org/web/20170914005421/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57758-2005Jan7.html 14 September 2017 . The Washington Post. 8 January 2005. Saudi cleric Muhammad Al-Munajjid attributed it to divine retribution against non-Muslim vacationers "who used to sprawl all over the beaches and in pubs overflowing with wine" during Christmas break.https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/index.php?id=25982 Associated Press û Tsunami survivors cling tightly to faith across ravaged region Baylor University 11 March 2019 24 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200724140458/https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/index.php?id=25982 live The widespread devastation caused by the tsunami led GAM to declare a cease-fire on 28 December 2004 followed by the Indonesian government, and the two groups resumed long-stalled peace talks, which resulted in a peace agreement signed 15 August 2005. The agreement explicitly cites the tsunami as a justification.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/15_08_05_aceh.pdf Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement 15 August 2005 24 December 2012 BBC News 29 June 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060629202428/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/15_08_05_aceh.pdf live In a poll conducted in 27 countries, 15% of respondents named the tsunami the most significant event of the year. Only the Iraq War was named by as many respondents.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/30_12_05_ws_events_poll.pdf Most significant events of 2005 30 December 2005 BBC World Service 26 September 2013 2 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131002211446/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/30_12_05_ws_events_poll.pdf live, and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4566826.stm Iraq war and tsunami top BBC poll 30 December 2005 BBC World Service 26 September 2013 2 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131002213901/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4566826.stm liveBrighton Paul Foy Dennis News Values 2007 Sage London 978-1412946001 44 The extensive international media coverage of the tsunami, and the role of mass media and journalists in reconstruction, were discussed by editors of newspapers and broadcast media in tsunami-affected areas, in special video-conferences set up by the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre.http://www.apjc.org.au/program6.html Asia Pacific Journalism Centre – Home Page 24 October 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20071013035339/http://www.apjc.org.au/program6.html 13 October 2007 dead The tsunami left both the people and government of India in a state of heightened alert. On 30 December 2004, four days after the tsunami, Terra Research notified the India government that its sensors indicated there was a possibility of 7.9 to 8.1 magnitude tectonic shift in the next 12 hours between Sumatra and New Zealand.Press Trust of India (30 December 2004) "Alert scaled down, capping day long confusion." In response, the Indian Minister of Home Affairs announced that a fresh onslaught of deadly tsunami was likely along the southern Indian coast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, even as there was no sign of turbulence in the region. The announcement generated panic in the Indian Ocean region and caused thousands to flee their homes, which resulted in jammed roads.Tran, Tina. (30 December 2004) Associated Press "False tsunami alarm sparks panic in Indian Ocean region. https://web.archive.org/web/20090621044212/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20041230-1108-tsunami-falsewarning.html 21 June 2009 " The announcement was a false alarm, and the Home Affairs minister withdrew their announcement. On further investigation, the India government learned that the consulting company Terra Research was run from the home of a self-described earthquake forecaster who had no telephone listing and maintained a website where he sold copies of his detection system.https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/suspect-quake-forecast-causes-panic/ Suspect quake forecast causes panic The Seattle Times Associated Press 31 December 2004 17 October 2019 16 October 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191016170754/https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/suspect-quake-forecast-causes-panic/ live thumb|upright=1.1|Patong Beach in Thailand after the tsunami The tsunami had a severe humanitarian and political impact in Sweden. The hardest-hit country outside Asia, it lost 543 tourists in the disaster, mainly in Thailand. The Persson Cabinet was heavily criticized for its inaction.Ministers Admit Handling of Tsunami Crisis Caused Suffering – Radio Sweden https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/797579 15 December 2020 Sveriges Radio 16 February 2006 25 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210725132232/https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/797579 live Smith Dharmasaroja, a meteorologist who had predicted that an earthquake and tsunami "is going to occur for sure" in 1994,https://www.seapa.org/mad-scientist-gets-belated-recognition/ 'Mad' Scientist Gets Belated Recognition Southeast Asian Press Alliance Tima Raffy Jr. 12 May 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20180319031526/https://www.seapa.org/mad-scientist-gets-belated-recognition/ 19 March 2018http://www.internationalist.org/disasterforetold0501.html A 'Natural Disaster' Foretold The Internationalist January 2005 16 December 2020 26 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210226132458/http://www.internationalist.org/disasterforetold0501.html live was assigned the development of the Thai tsunami warning system. The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System was formed in early 2005 to provide an early warning of tsunamis for inhabitants around the Indian Ocean coasts.http://iotic.ioc-unesco.org/indian-ocean-tsunami-warning-system/16/what-is-iotws What is IOTWS IOTWS 11 March 2019 27 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190227214133/http://iotic.ioc-unesco.org/indian-ocean-tsunami-warning-system/16/what-is-iotws live The changes in the distribution of masses inside the Earth due to the earthquake had several consequences. It displaced the North Pole by 25 mm. It also slightly changed the shape of the Earth, specifically by decreasing Earth's oblateness by about one part in 10 billion, consequentially increasing Earth's rotation a little and thus shortening the length of the day by 2.68 microseconds. The Indian Ocean Tsunami Archives were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World register in 2017.The Indian Ocean Tsunami Archives https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/indian-ocean-tsunami-archives?hub=1081 9 September 2025 UNESCO Memory of the World The archive consists of video, audio, and photographs. Humanitarian response Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake thumb|upright=1.1|German tsunami relief mission visiting Mullaitivu in Sri Lanka's Northern Province A great deal of humanitarian aid was needed because of widespread damage to the infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and economic damage. Epidemics were of particular concern due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. The main concern of humanitarian and government agencies was to provide sanitation facilities and fresh drinking water to contain the spread of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis A and hepatitis B. There was also a great concern that the death toll could increase as disease and hunger spread. However, because of the initial quick response, this was minimized.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4157947.stm UN upbeat on tsunami hunger aid BBC News 9 January 2005 24 December 2012 12 April 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130412065431/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4157947.stm live In the days following the tsunami, significant effort was spent in burying bodies hurriedly due to fear of disease spreading. However, the public health risks may have been exaggerated, and therefore this may not have been the best way to allocate resources.Ball Philip Mass graves not necessary for tsunami victims Nature 7 January 2005 10.1038/news050103-10 https://www.nature.com/articles/news050103-10 13 September 2023 subscriptionHealth Effects of Tsunamis https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/healtheff.html Natural Disasters and Severe Weather Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 13 September 2023 31 August 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230831082145/https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/healtheff.html live The World Food Programme provided food aid to more than 1.3 million people affected by the tsunami.http://reliefweb.int/report/indonesia/wfp-situation-report-tsunami-crisis-indian-ocean-region-friday-4-nov-2005 United Nations: World Food Programme: Report on the Tsunami Crisis ReliefWeb 4 November 2005 24 December 2012 12 December 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131212221140/http://reliefweb.int/report/indonesia/wfp-situation-report-tsunami-crisis-indian-ocean-region-friday-4-nov-2005 live Health risks from dead bodies Nations all over the world provided over US$14 billion in aid for damaged regions,Chapter 3, "The matter of money", in Jayasuriya, Sisira and Peter McCawley, "The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction after a Disaster" https://web.archive.org/web/20110722005138/http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/Bookentry_Main.lasso?id=13668 22 July 2011 . Cheltenham UK and Northampton MA: Edward Elgar, 2010. with the governments of Australia pledging US$819.9 million (including a US$760.6 million aid package for Indonesia), Germany offering US$660 million, Japan offering US$500 million, Canada offering US$343 million, Norway and the Netherlands offering both US$183 million, the United States offering US$35 million initially (increased to US$350 million), and the World Bank offering US$250 million. Also, Italy offered US$95 million, increased later to US$113 million of which US$42 million was donated by the population using the SMS system.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4145259.stm Tsunami aid: Who's giving what 27 January 2005 22 April 2006 BBC News 22 June 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060622072742/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4145259.stm live Australia, India, Japan and the United States formed an ad-hoc corroborative group, and it was the origin of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.https://warontherocks.com/2017/11/rise-fall-rebirth-quad/ 16 November 2017 Tanvi Madan The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the 'Quad' War on the Rocks 22 February 2021 13 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210213000755/https://warontherocks.com/2017/11/rise-fall-rebirth-quad/ live thumb|upright=1.1|Memorial dedicated to victims of the tsunami in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, written in Tamil According to USAID, the US has pledged additional funds in long-term U.S. support to help the tsunami victims rebuild their lives. On 9 February 2005, President George W. Bush asked Congress to increase the U.S. commitment to a total of US$950 million. Officials estimated that billions of dollars would be needed. Bush also asked his father, former president George H. W. Bush, and former president Bill Clinton to lead a U.S. effort to provide private aid to the tsunami victims.Staff Writer. "Clinton, Bush: Tsunami Aid Helping". The Early Show/CBS News. 21 February 2005. In mid-March, the Asian Development Bank reported that over US$4 billion in aid promised by governments was behind schedule. Sri Lanka reported that it had received no foreign government aid, while foreign individuals had been generous.Staff Writer. "Tsunami aid shortfall over $4bn https://web.archive.org/web/20050912233919/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4361053.stm 12 September 2005 ." BBC News. 18 March 2005. Many charities were given considerable donations from the public. For example, in the United Kingdom, the public donated roughly £330 million sterling (nearly US$600 million). This considerably outweighed the allocation by the government to disaster relief and reconstruction of £75 million and came to an average of about £5.50 (US$10) donated by every citizen.Telford John Cosgrave John March 2007 The international humanitarian system and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis Disasters 31 1 1–28 10.1111/j.1467-7717.2007.00337.x 17367371 2007Disas..31....1T freehttps://www.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/TEC_Funding_Report.pdf Funding the Tsunami Response Flint Michael July 2006 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 11 March 2019 12 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190112080859/https://www.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/TEC_Funding_Report.pdf live In August 2006, fifteen local aid staff working on post-tsunami rebuilding were found executed in north-east Sri Lanka after heavy fighting between government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels, the main umbrella body for aid agencies in the country said.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/07/tsunami2004.internationalaidanddevelopment 15 tsunami aid staff executed in Sri Lanka Ramesh Randeep 7 August 2006 The Guardian 11 March 2019 0261-3077 4 May 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200504175225/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/07/tsunami2004.internationalaidanddevelopment live In popular culture Film and television Children of Tsunami: No More Tears (2005), a 24-minute documentary The Wave That Shook the World (2005), educational television series documentary about the tsunami Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006), a two-part television miniseries about its aftermath Dasavathaaram (2008), a Tamil thriller film involving the tsunami Tsunami: Caught on Camera (2009), a TV documentary showcasing the tsunami through amateur video with survivor interviewshttps://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a193489/24-million-tune-in-for-tsunami-footage/ 2.4 million tune in for tsunami footage Digital Spy 3 January 2010https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-turn-of-the-screw-three-men-go-to-ireland-tsunami-caught-on-camera-piers-morgans-review-of-the-year2009-unwrapped-with-miranda-hart-rwkkqxdwmct?region=global The Turn of the Screw; Three Men Go to Ireland; Tsunami: Caught On Camera; Piers Morgan's Review of the Year/2009 Unwrapped with Miranda Hart The Times 19 December 2009 Hereafter (2010), a main character's life is affected after surviving the tsunami while on vacation Hafalan Shalat Delisa (2011), an Indonesian movie with the tsunami as the initial incident The Impossible (2012), an English-language Spanish film based on the story of María Belón and her family Kayal (2014), a Tamil drama film which culminates with the tsunami Tsunami: Race Against Time (2024), a 20-year retrospective that chronicles some of the stories of individual heroism and tragedyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXTK49k3fWo Tsunami: Race Against Time (Full Episode) The Big One National Geographic 2024-11-25 National Geographic 2025-01-04 YouTube Literature Paint the Sky with Stars: Selected Poetry in Remembrance of the Boxing Day Tsunami 2004 (2005) edited by Stephen Robert Kutahttps://books.google.com/books?id=l21lDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP5 Paint the sky with Stars Kuta Stephen Re-invention UK 2005 978-0-9549899-0-3 Rayne, Essex, England 16 October 2019 24 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200724140700/https://books.google.com/books?id=l21lDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP5 live The Killing Sea (2006), two teenagers struggle to survive in the days after the tsunami1 December 2006 Book Review: The Killing Sea by Richard Lewis https://www.thetcj.org/books/book-review-the-killing-sea-by-richard-lewis 15 December 2020 The Therapeutic Care Journal 26 January 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210126034824/https://www.thetcj.org/books/book-review-the-killing-sea-by-richard-lewis live Wave (2013), a memoir by Sonali Deraniyagala On the Island (2012), two people stranded on a Maldives uninhabited island are rescued because of the tsunami. Music "12/26" by Kimya Dawson, about the event and the humanitarian efforts, from the perspective of a victim whose family died in the disaster. "Where the Wave Broke" by Burst, written in memory of Mieszko Talarczyk, frontman of Swedish grindcore band Nasum (whom Burst bassist Jesper Liveröd also performed with), who died in the disaster, which led to Nasum's subsequent disbandment. See also Asia Indonesia Sri Lanka Thailand India Malaysia Maldives Myanmar Somalia Earth sciences 2000s Deaths in December 2004 – notable people killed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami List of earthquakes in 2004 List of earthquakes in Indonesia List of natural disasters by death toll Lists of earthquakes List of megathrust earthquakes Notes References Myanmar is withholding true casualties figures, says Thai priest 4 January 2005 A missioner in Ranong, a town on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, says locals talk about 600 victims. Burmese political dissidents say the same. AsiaNews.it http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=2255 12 February 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20061009053106/http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=2255 9 October 2006 External links 1 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami bulletins topic ts-2004-000147-idn The Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake. https://web.archive.org/web/20151021100354/http://www.iris.iris.edu/sumatra/ 21 October 2015  – IRIS Consortium. M9.1 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake & Tsunami, 2004 – Amateur Seismic Centre (ASC) (archived 21 January 2007) Asian Tsunami Anniversary – Thailand Tsunami Then and Now Comparison Series https://web.archive.org/web/20230531063010/http://www.zoriah.net/blog/2008/12/asian-tsunami-anniversary-thailand-tsunami-then-and-now-comparison-series.html 31 May 2023  – Zoriah Miller 2ozmwEBOmJo Compilation of videos that show the moment the quake and the subsequent tsunami hit 7453151 collapsed Category:2000s in Andhra Pradesh Category:2000s in Kerala Category:2000s in Tamil Nadu Category:2004 disasters in India Category:2004 disasters in Indonesia Category:2004 disasters in Sri Lanka Category:2004 earthquakes Category:December 2004 in Somalia Category:2004 in Sri Lanka Category:2004 in Thailand Category:2004 in the Maldives Category:2004 tsunamis Category:Articles containing video clips Category:December 2004 in Asia Category:Earthquakes in Myanmar Category:Earthquakes in Sumatra Category:Earthquakes in Thailand Category:History of Southeast Asia Category:History of the Indian Ocean Category:Megathrust earthquakes in India Category:Megathrust earthquakes in Sumatra Category:Natural disasters in India Category:Natural disasters in Indonesia Category:Natural disasters in Somalia Category:Natural disasters in Sri Lanka Category:Tsunamis in India Category:Tsunamis in Myanmar Category:Tsunamis in Thailand