[155], The tsunami left both the people and government of India in a state of heightened alert. The seismograms are arranged vertically by distance from the epicentre in degrees. Ten Years Since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami - The Atlantic Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Some believe that the tsunami was divine punishment for lay Muslims shirking their daily prayers or following a materialistic lifestyle. [82] The tsunami travelled 2.5km (1.6mi) at its maximum inland at Karaikal, Puducherry. 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 10mm (0.4in) in vertical amplitude everywhere on Earth. 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. [clarification needed] The south and east coasts were worst hit. The direct results caused major disruptions to living conditions and commerce in coastal provinces of surrounded countries, including Aceh (Indonesia), Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu (India) and Khao Lak (Thailand). Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Malaysia [164], In the days following the tsunami, significant effort was spent in burying bodies hurriedly due to fear of disease spreading. In Yemen, the tsunami killed two people with a maximum runup of 2m (6.6ft). Affected or destroyed towns on the region's north and east coast were Pidie Regency, Samalanga, Panteraja, and Lhokseumawe. The last major tsunami was caused by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. Banda Aceh reported the largest number of deaths. However, the public health risks may have been exaggerated, and therefore this may not have been the best way to allocate resources. [75] Estimates based on the state of the shoreline and a high-water mark on a nearby building place the tsunami 7.59m (2530ft) above sea level and 23m (6ft 7in 9ft 10in) higher than the top of the train. An estimated 1,600km (1,000mi) of fault surface slipped (or ruptured) about 15m (50ft) along the subduction zone where the Indian Plate slides under (or subducts) the overriding Burma Plate. December 26, 2004 Location: India Indian Ocean Indonesia Maldives Thailand Key People: Michelle Howard See all related content Top Questions Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, tsunami that hit the coasts of several countries of South and Southeast Asia in December 2004. 89. Several thousand non-Asian tourists vacationing in the region also were reported dead or missing. The maximum tsunami wave height of 11m (36ft). The first wave came five minutes after the mainshock (0629 hrs.) 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 the natural phenomenon. with a marginal drop in sea level. Watch the video above Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >> 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. From the Field 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: Facts, FAQs, and how to help Gallery In the days after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the coast of India's Tamil Nadu state, two young women sift through the remains of their home looking for valuables and documents. Amateur video recorded taken 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. Coordinates: 3.316N 95.854E On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7 ), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1-9.3 Mw struck with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. An 8.9 magnitude earthquake under the sea near Aceh, north Indonesia, at 0759 local time (0059 GMT) generated the biggest tsunami the world has seen for at least . An oceanic trench several kilometres wide was exposed in the earthquake zone.[43]. 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. 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. Boxing Day Tsunami: A survivor's story - BBC News Several near-shore establishments and numerous infrastructures such as seawalls and a 20 MW diesel-generated power plant at Bamboo Flat were destroyed. Reaching as far as East Africa, the tsunami unleashed energy equivalent to 23,000 of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima -- and is considered among the deadliest natural disasters in history. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over several minutes: In February 2005, scientists revised the estimate of the magnitude to 9.0. [142], The last major tsunami in the Indian Ocean was about A.D. While the overall impact on the national economies was minor, local economies were devastated. [100] 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 alone, giving a total of 280,000 fatalities. Also, 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 area in Thailand, Penang island of Malaysia, and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Sri Lanka reported that it had received no foreign government aid, while foreign individuals had been generous. It began at 7:59am local time on December 26, 2004, when a 9.1-magnitude quake struck off the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia. A great deal of humanitarian aid was needed because of widespread damage to the infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and economic damage. According to eyewitness accounts, the tsunami came from the north and south. Flooding occurred at the coast and low-lying areas inland, which were connected to open sea through creeks. [26] Some examples of significant historical megathrust earthquakes are the 1868 Arica earthquake in Peru and the 1700 Cascadia earthquake in western North America. 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 first wave came rapidly landward from the south-west as a turbulent bore about 0.52.5m (1.68.2ft) high. [150] 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. The 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck is the largest single rail disaster in world history by death toll, with . [1] Many of the dead were adults and the elderly. However, this was proven untrue. [40] 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. In recent years the fishery industry has emerged as a dynamic export-oriented sector, generating substantial foreign exchange earnings. [157] 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. Maldives Report", "Death toll in Asian tsunami disaster tops 159,000", "Asian tsunami death toll passes 144,000", "Tsunami Evaluation Coalition: Initial Findings", "On the weak impact of the 26 December Indian Ocean tsunami on the Bangladesh coast", "The South Sandwich Islands earthquake of 27 June 1929: seismological study and inference on tsunami risk for the southern Atlantic", "YEMEN: Tsunami damage over US$1 million UNEP assessment", "Helping restore the quality of drinking water after the tsunami". 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.[54]. The magnitude 8.7 2005 NiasSimeulue 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. The two main occupations affected by the tsunami were fishing and tourism. Some locations reported that the waves had reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit the shoreline. 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. 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. [50][51] 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. [170] Many charities were given considerable donations from the public. "Ministers Admit Handling of Tsunami Crisis Caused Suffering - Radio Sweden", "Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center | Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System | What is IOTWS", National Aeronautics and Space Administration, "United Nations: World Food Programme: Report on the Tsunami Crisis", "The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction after a Disaster", "The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the 'Quad', "The international humanitarian system and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis", "15 tsunami aid staff executed in Sri Lanka", "Book Review: The Killing Sea by Richard Lewis", M9.1 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake & Tsunami, 2004, Asian Tsunami Anniversary Thailand Tsunami Then and Now Comparison Series, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami&oldid=1161264648, 1530m (4998ft) on the west coast of Aceh, 612m (2039ft) on the Banda Aceh coast, 36m (9.819.7ft) on the north coast of, 3m (9.8ft) on the opposite side of the coast of Weh Island facing the tsunami, 36m (9.819.7ft) along the west coast of Phuket island, 3m (9.8ft) along the south coast of Phuket island, 2m (6ft 7in) along the east coast of Phuket island, 5m (16ft) at Hat Praphat (Ranong Coastal Resources Research Station), 3.4m (11ft) at Kerala, inundation distance of 0.51.5km (0.310.93mi) with 250km (160mi) of coastline affected, 4.5m (15ft) at the southern coastline of Tamil Nadu, inundation distance of 0.22km (0.121.24mi) with 100km (62mi) of coastline affected, 5m (16ft) at the eastern coastline of Tamil Nadu facing tsunami source, inundation distance of 0.41.5km (0.250.93mi) with 800km (500mi) of coastline affected, 4m (13ft) at Pondicherry, inundation distance of 0.22km (0.121.24mi) with 25km (16mi) of coastline affected, 2.2m (7.2ft) at Andhra Pradesh, inundation distance of 0.21km (0.120.62mi) with 985km (612mi) of coastline affected, 5m (16ft) in maximum tsunami height with a run-up of 4.24m (13.9ft) at Chiriyatapu Beach, 5.5m (18ft) in maximum tsunami height and run-up at Corbyn's Cove Beach, 6.6m (22ft) in maximum tsunami height and run-up of 4.63m (15.2ft) at Wandoor Beach, 1.5m (4ft 11in) at Diglipur and Rangat at North Andaman Island, 1012m (3339ft) high at Malacca (in Car Nicobar Island) and at Hut Bay on, 3m (9.8ft) high at Port Blair on South Andaman Island, 1.32.4m (4ft 3in 7ft 10in) at North Male Atoll, Male Island, 2m (6ft 7in) at North Male Atoll, Huhule Island, 1.72.8m (5ft 7in 9ft 2in) at South Male Atoll, Embudhu Finothu, 2.53.3m (8ft 2in 10ft 10in) at Laamu Atoll, Fonadhoo Island, 2.22.9m (7ft 3in 9ft 6in) at Laamu Atoll, Gan Island, 2.33m (7ft 7in 9ft 10in) at North Male Atoll, Dhiffushi Island, 2.22.4m (7ft 3in 7ft 10in) at North Male Atoll, Huraa Island, more than 1.5m (4ft 11in) at North Male Atoll, Kuda Huraa Island, 0.62.3m (2ft 0in 7ft 7in) around the Ayeyarwady delta, This page was last edited on 21 June 2023, at 16:45. 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. 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 36m (120ft), but more accurate data released more than a month after the earthquake found the movement to be about 0.2m (8in). The second and third waves came in 10 minutes intervals after the first wave. In addition, the tsunami inflicted damage to the popular resort town of Ao Nang in Krabi Province. As a result, mangrove restoration become a focus of a number of projects, with varied success. [42], In February 2005, the Royal Navy vessel HMSScott surveyed the seabed around the earthquake zone, which varies in depth between 1,000 and 5,000m (550 and 2,730 fathoms; 3,300 and 16,400ft). [22], Great earthquakes, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, are associated with megathrust events in subduction zones. [21], Indonesia lies between the Pacific Ring of Fire along the north-eastern islands adjacent to New Guinea, and the Alpide belt that runs along the south and west from Sumatra, Java, Bali, Flores to Timor. [171][172], 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. The maximum inundation limit due to tsunami water was about 500m (1,600ft). [143][144] 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. There was also a great concern that the death toll could increase as disease and hunger spread. The waves arrived after the sea receded about 500m (1,600ft), followed by an advancing small tsunami. 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. The India Plate sinks deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until the increasing temperature and pressure drive volatiles out of the subducting plate. ". [125] 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. [86], The worst affected island in the Andaman & Nicobar chain is Katchall Island, with 303 people confirmed dead and 4,354 missing out of a total population of 5,312. Only the Iraq War was named by as many respondents. Their seismic moments can account for a significant fraction of the global seismic moment across century-scale periods. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). There was 10m (33ft) movement laterally and 45m (1316ft) vertically along the fault line. [66], A group of small islands: Weh, Breueh, Nasi, Teunom, Bunta, Lumpat, and Batee lie just north of the capital city. Tsunami runup heights of more than 30 meters were observed along the west coast of Sumatra. 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. Tens of thousands were reported dead or missing in Sri Lanka and India, a large number of them from the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory. [1] Two-thirds of the capital city Mal was flooded during the . [76][pageneeded]. 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.