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What was the location of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?

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Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004

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• Academia - Tsunami 2004
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Impact of 2004 Tsunami in the Islands of Indian Ocean: Lessons Learned
• NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - JetStream Max: 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
• Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

What was the magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?

The magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 was 9.1.

On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This quake caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas with waves that in some places reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit the shoreline.

How long did the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 last?

The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 lasted for seven hours and reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand, and as far away as East Africa.

How many people died in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?

The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand sustaining massive damage.

Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 , tsunami that hit the coasts of several countries of South and Southeast Asia in December 2004. The tsunami and its aftermath were responsible for immense destruction and loss on the rim of the Indian Ocean.

On December 26, 2004, at 7:59 am local time, an undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra . Over the next seven hours, a tsunami —a series of immense ocean waves—triggered by the quake reached out across the Indian Ocean , devastating coastal areas as far away as East Africa . Some locations reported that the waves had reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit the shoreline.

The tsunami caused one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history, killing at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries, with Indonesia , Sri Lanka , India , Maldives , and Thailand sustaining massive damage. Indonesian officials estimated that the death toll there alone ultimately exceeded 200,000, particularly in northern Sumatra’s Aceh province. 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. The low-lying island country of Maldives reported more than a hundred casualties and immense economic damage. Several thousand non-Asian tourists vacationing in the region also were reported dead or missing. The lack of food, clean water, and medical treatment—combined with the enormous task faced by relief workers trying to get supplies into some remote areas where roads had been destroyed or where civil war raged—extended the list of casualties. Long-term environmental damage was severe as well, with villages, tourist resorts, farmland, and fishing grounds demolished or inundated with debris, bodies, and plant-killing salt water .

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Essay on the tsunami of 26th december 2004.

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Essay on the Tsunami of 26th December 2004!

On 26th December 2004, the Indian Ocean was hit by tsunamis which are considered to be the most catastrophic in the living memory of the inhabitants of the coastal areas of this ocean. It was caused by a severe earthquake which measured 8.9 on the Richter scale.

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Seismologists at Northwestern University in Illinois later upgraded the earthquake to magnitude 9.3 on Richter scale. This is perhaps the highest magnitude for any earthquake ever recorded anywhere in the world. This earthquake had its epicentre off the coast of Sumatra (Indonesia) at 3.5° north latitude and 95° east longitude. This place happens to be at the tri-junction of the Indian, Australian and Burmese (Myanmarese) plates.

The following description gives a brief account of sequence of events about tsunamis which affected most countries to bordering the Indian Ocean.

The earthquake was triggered by the collision of the Indian plate with Burmese plate. It occurred at the point where the Indian plate subducts below the Burmese plate due to the northward movement of the Indian plate (Fig. 8.8). Seismologists have noted a 15 metre slip in the vertical direction along the crack that is about 1000 km long extending upto Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the northern direction.

Damages by Tsunami :

This tsunami had been the most damaging in the world history. It had wrecked havoc to as many as 11 countries of south and Southeast Asia and East Africa extending from Indonesia to Somalia. Hence it is rightly called the tragedy of international dimensions. Various types of damages done by the tsunami of 26th December 2004 are briefly described as under.

1. Death Toll :

The tsunamis that hit the Indian Ocean on 26th Dec. 2004 claimed over 1.5 lakh lives in different countries of Asia and Africa. The soaring waves killed people of at least 40 nationalities including tourists from various countries of the world.

Table 8.5 shows that Indonesia has been the worst sufferer with death toll of over one lakh persons. Sri Lanka, India and Thailand also suffered heavy tolls. The other countries which suffered loss of life include Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and the distant African countries of Somalia, Kenya, Seychelles and Tanzania.

Surprisingly Malaysia suffered only a fraction of destruction despite its being located so near to the epicentre of the earthquake. This is because of the location of Sumatra which acted as buffer for Malaysia.

Besides over one million people were affected and several others were rendered homeless.

In India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were the closest to the epicentre of the earthquake and hence the origin of tsunamis, and was the worst sufferer. Areas like Car Nicobar, Katchal, Nancowry, Campbell Bay, Champion Island, Chowra and Teresa Island have been badly affected. In Car Nicobar, half of the total population of about 20 thousand was reportedly missing.

TABLE 8.5 Number of Persons killed by Tsunamis:

On the main land of India, the main attack of tsunamis was on the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and the union territory of Pondicherry. Of these three states, Tamil Nadu suffered the most.

The largest number of deaths was reported from Nagapattinam, Kanniyakumari, Cuddalore and Chennai districts. Out of a total population of about 15 lakhs in Nagapattinam district about five thousand persons were killed, 2 lakh injured and 1.5 lakh were rendered homeless.

As many as 80 villages were completely swept away by waves. Fishing boats were wrested ashore to a distance of one kilometre with many landing on rail tracks near Nagapattinam railway station. The story was almost the same in Kanniyakumari, Cuddalore and Chennai districts.

After Nagapattinam, Kanniyakumari district reported the heaviest toll. Kanniyakumari itself looked like a ghost town. The toll has been heightened because across the Tamil Nadu coast, villages of fishermen are situated between the low tide and high tide areas. In the pilgrim town of Tiruchander, sea water entered inland as far as 2 km. Like Kanniyakumari, Cuddalore looked like a ghost city.

In Andhra Pradesh, all the nine districts on the coast were badly affected by tsunamis though four south coastal districts were the worst affected. Most victims met their watery grave as they were taken unawared. The fishing community which lived in makeshift houses near the head was totally washed away. A large number of deaths had been reported from Krishna, Prakasam, Nellore, West Godawari and East Godawari districts.

In Kerala, the highest toll was reported from Kollam district followed by Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts. In north Kerala, damage by waves was reported from Kozhikode and Kannur districts.

Severe damage was reported from Karaikal in Pondicherry.

The countries which reported death toll higher than India were Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In Indonesia, Sumatra and Java including Aceh Province were the worst sufferers. In Sri Lanka, Matara, Galle, Weligma, Hambantota, Batticaloa and Colombo reported heavy casualties. The Jaffna peninsula also suffered heavy casualties. High death toll was also reported from Phuket island of Thailand.

Besides a large number of tourists from Europe, North America, South America and Australia who had come to the tsunami affected countries to celebrate Christmas and New year also lost their lives.

2. Loss of Property :

Property worth crores of rupees has been damaged as a result of attack by tsunamis. Infrastructural elements like houses, public buildings, transport and communication system etc. had been damaged almost beyond repair.

Sea water even entered the nuclear power plant at Kalpakkam which was closed for a number of days. In Sri Lanka, rail tracks were twisted near Colombo and a train was derailed in which about 1,000 persons were killed.

According to preliminary findings of the government of India, the coastal areas of India, which include large coastal tracts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry and Kerala, have suffered financial losses of billions of rupees. The financial loss in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was pegged at Rs. 2,500 crore (see Table 8.6).

3. Physiographical Changes :

Tsunamis of 26th December 2004 were so strong that they could bring about drastic physiographic changes in different parts of the world. Satellite pictures of the tsunami affected areas show conspicuous changes in Chennai (particularly Adyar river course) as well as Trinket Katchall and Camorta Islands of the Andaman and Nicobar.

Water level in many islands had risen, number of beaches in many islands like Campbell Bay had vanished and Trinket Island was split into two. Car Nicobar, which was worst affected sank to some extent. Indira Point, the southern-most tip of the Indian Union, was almost completely washed out, shrinking the coastline inland. These islands are hardly 125 to 200 km from the origin of tsunamis and had to face the worst fury of the killing waves.

In Maldives, 130 of the 200 islands were substantially damaged and 19 inhabited islands were swept away.

TABLE 8.6 Estimates of Financial Losses in India caused by Tsunamis:

Many of the smaller islands near the coast of Sumatra have either disappeared or they have been deformed by the force of the earthquake.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey many of the small islands of the southwest coast of Sumatra might have moved to the southwest by as much as 20 metres. According to the U.S. Geological Survey expert Ken Herdnut, the northwestern tip of Sumatra may also have shifted to the southwest by about 36 metres.

However, Stuart Sipkin of the USGS National Earthquake Information Centre in Golden Colorado said it was more likely that the islands of Sumatra had risen higher out of sea than they had moved laterally. Collision of the Indian and the Burmese plate created a fault 1,200 km long and 150-200 km wide in the Indian Ocean. (Fig. 8.10)

The latest data available through the Global Positioning System (GPS) has shown that under impact of the earthquake, almost whole of south-east Asia moved eastward by a few centimetres. On an average Thiruvananthapuram moved by 26 mm, Bangalore by 15 mm, Singapore (westward) by 14 mm, Diego Garcia by 12 mm, Kunming in China (south-westward) by 9 mm, Lhasa in Tibet (south­eastward) by 4 mm and Dehradun by 2 mm. The data also reveals that the quake caused deformations on the earth’s surface cross a radius of 4,500 km from the epicentre.

4. Motion of the Earth :

The US Geological Survey also expressed the opinion (as expressed by Ken Herdnut) that tremendous energy released by the earthquake made the earth wobble on its axis. According to Richard Gross, a NASA geophysicist, the earthquake might have permanently accelerated the earth’s rotation due to shift of mass towards the earth’s centre.

This had caused the planet to spin 3 microseconds or one millionth of a second faster and to tilt about 2.5 cm on its axis. In other words, day is shortened by about 3 microseconds and the North Pole has shifted towards east Siberia by 2.5 cm. Besides earth’s oblatiness (flattering at the poles and bulging at the equator) decreased by one part in 10 billion.

5. Decline in Soil Fertility and Agricultural Production :

Vast low lying coastal areas were submerged under sea water which increased the salinity of the soil and reduced agricultural production. Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts in Tamil Nadu were the worst affected. Tests conducted on soil samples from these districts showed that sea water had seeped to a depth of about 90 cm of soil, thereby totally affecting the root zone (15-30 cm below ground).

Soil profile tests showed high salinity varying from 6.8 to 9.10 pH value (neutral value for pH is 7). This is highly saline condition in which no paddy crop could be cultivated. In Nagapattinam district alone, more than 9,500 hectares of land had been rendered unfit for cultivation by increased salinity.

Horticulture also suffered heavy losses. The total loss in Nagapattinam district was estimated at Rs. 5.2 crore. This land could be reclaimed by flushing the soil with fresh water from the Cauvery River and by administering about two metric tonnes of gypsum per hectare. This process normally takes about 3 to 4 years to show the desired results. Farmers had been advised to sow plants like cashewnut which are saline-resistant.

6. Effect on Marine Life :

The killer tsunamis had badly affected the marine life of the Indian Ocean. A large section of the coral reefs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands archipelago had been destroyed, while others suffered extensive damages.

According to marine biologists, satellite pictures showed that 45 per cent of the fragile coral reefs had been destroyed. The surviving reefs were damaged by the debris washed into the sea from the islands. Experts say it would take at least 700 to 800 years for reefs to re-form.

The coral reefs around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are of fringing type i.e., they lie just off the coastline. Hence they have suffers extensive damage. According to Greg Miller, Executive Scientist of Global Reef Watch, “The fragile coral reefs off the archipelago’s islands are relatively new (about a thousand years old) and could not withstand the high speed tsunami waves”. There were an estimated 316 species of corals around the islands of the archipelago. Some of the species that were unique to the archipelago could have become extinct.

Fishing also suffered heavy losses at the hands of the powerful tsunamis. Sea beaches along the coasts of the Indian Ocean became graveyards of the dead fishes after the tsunami swept across the ocean. Mangrove areas that acted as nursery habitats to fish and shrimp were also damaged. The breeding, feeding and other activities of large sea mammals such as whales, dolphins etc. were also adversely affected.

Marine exports from India to the tune of US $ 1.3 billion were severely hit owing to wreckage caused by tsunamis. Since hatcheries and aquaculture ponds of coastal areas from Kerala to Orissa have been adversely affected, the marine production and hence the marine exports were badly hit. Fish, prawns and shrimps form a major chunk of India’s marine exports.

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• This Day In History Dec - 26

Tsunami Struck the Indian Ocean - [December 26, 2004] This Day in History

On 26 December 2004, a megathrust earthquake with its epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia struck the Indian Ocean and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis that affected 14 countries including India, killing a total of about 2,80,000 people.

This is an important day in history. Aspirants can read about other important ‘ This Day in History ‘ topics from the linked article.

Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam .

Indian Ocean Tsunami

• A tsunami or a seismic sea wave is a series of waves that are caused in a large water body like an ocean by the displacement of massive volumes of water. The displacement can occur due to earthquakes , volcanic eruptions, landslides, meteorite impacts, underwater explosions, etc.
• Tsunamis are sometimes called tidal waves because they resemble rapidly rising tides, but scientists avoid this usage since tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon whereas tsunamis are caused by water displacement.
• The 2004 tsunami was caused by a massive earthquake that was the third-largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. It measured between 9.1 and 9.3-moment magnitude. The duration of faulting was between 8.3 and 10 minutes and this was the longest ever.
• The epicentre was in the Indian Ocean between Simeulue and mainland Indonesia.
• The scientific community named this earthquake the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake . It’s very high intensity makes it a megathrust earthquake.
• About 1600 km of fault surface slipped 15 m along the zone where the Indian Plate slides under the Burma Plate.
• It triggered several aftershocks for up to 3 to 4 months after the event. An enormous amount of energy was released as a result of the seismic activity and the earth is said to have wobbled minutely on its axis. The alteration in the mass and the energy released also caused a change in the earth’s rotation.
• Due to the earthquake, the seabed rose vertically by many metres displacing a huge volume of water thus, causing the tsunami.
• Indonesia was the first country to be hit by the tsunami because of its proximity. It also saw the maximum casualty, close to 1,70,000 being killed.
• The eastern coast of India was hit about 2 hours later sometime after 9:00 AM local time. Kerala was hit after another 2 hours. It also hit countries far away like Somalia, Tanzania and even South Africa. Bangladesh was spared the horror despite its nearness to the epicentre because the tsunami waves were in the east-west direction.
• The tsunami was also detected in Antarctica, Mexico and Vancouver in Canada.

While IAS Exam aspirants prepare geography-related topics, they come across various topics which need better understanding. Such topics are linked below:

Effects on India

• In India, the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh were badly affected. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were also severely affected. Fortunately, many of the aboriginal tribal people were safe thanks to their oral traditions and wisdom which made them flee to safer higher grounds before the tsunami struck.
• Before the tsunami struck taking people by surprise, they observed a “sea disappearing” effect, i.e, the sea retreated by as much as 2.5 km in some places. Many people who had come to witness this were submerged when the tsunami struck suddenly. The waves were as high as 100 feet in many places.
• In Thailand, many European vacationers were also affected.
• Countries that were affected by the disaster in approximate decreasing order of casualties: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Myanmar, Maldives, Malaysia, Tanzania, Seychelles, Bangladesh, South Africa, Yemen, Kenya and Madagascar. Many European countries like Sweden and Germany also had a large number of victims.
• This 2004 tsunami was the deadliest recorded tsunami in history.
• The catastrophe triggered a massive wave of humanitarian aid from all over the world with governments, organisations and individuals contributing significantly.
• The tsunami also destroyed the economies of many communities, especially that relied on the sea for a living.
• In India, the coastal town of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu reported the most number of deaths with over 6000 people killed. Many villages were completely destroyed.
• The total damage caused due to the tsunami in 2004 is about USD 19.6 billion.

Candidates may also learn about disaster management from the related links below:

Indian Ocean Tsunami:  Download PDF Here

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2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami

Description and explanation, prior events and warning signs, response and consequences, works cited.

In 2004, South Asia experienced one of the deadliest tsunamis and earthquakes in history. It was notable for two reasons – its almost unprecedented scale and unexpected nature. Both the scientific community and the governments were taken aback by the natural disaster since the region had not been known as tsunami-prone. The ensuing crisis called for immediate substantial humanitarian assistance, geological studies, and the implementation of warning systems and emergency responses.

Tsunamis and earthquakes are intrinsically related, often occurring in sequence. A rupture between the Indian and Burma tectonic plates caused an earthquake with a record high magnitude. “The earthquake induced a massive tsunami responsible for casualties and damages along most of the coasts surrounding the Indian Ocean” (Bletery et al. 5116). The natural disasters affected area over 1200 kilometres and 15 countries in Asia and Africa. The tsunami lasted over seven hours and had waves that reached 30 metres in height. The death toll of the transpired events amounts to at least 227,898 people (Suppasri et al. 3313). Both earthquake and tsunami are listed among the largest and deadliest natural disasters in the world.

The region was not prepared to handle the disaster, because such disturbances were not an observed phenomenon there. Sieh et al. argue that “records of predecessors existed neither in the cultural memory or written records of communities along the coasts of the Indian Ocean nor in the scientific literature” (308). However, this does not mean that tsunamis had never taken place in the region, as the studies have found evidence of prehistoric tsunamis which are depicted in Appendix A (Sieh et al. 309). The black dots indicate sites of natural disasters that occurred between 1460 and 1300 C.E. As a result, no large-scale water fluctuations were expected around the time of the 2004 tsunami.

In 2004, there were no tsunami warning systems implemented; thus, it resulted in complete regional unpreparedness. Therefore, the most evident sign of the incoming tsunami was the earthquake. Minutes before the strike, the sea receded, which is a typical tsunami warning sign, combined with the shaking of the ground (Hall et al. 482). Due to the absence of evacuation measures, people on the coast were hit by the first wave. Altogether, neither the government nor the population knew what specific signs to look out for because of the lack of adequate tsunami forecasts.

The 2004 tsunami and earthquake sent reverberations across the oceans that reached as far as East Africa, yet Asian countries were hit the most. “Indonesia was by far the worst affected country with an estimated total damage of USD 4.5 billion, 167,052 people killed, and 590,684 individuals further affected” (Ismail et al. 439). Hundreds of hospitals, schools, governmental facilities could no longer function. The transport infrastructure was heavily damaged, including thousands of kilometres of road, numerous airports and seaports. Furthermore, devastation left countries without telecommunications sufficient for timely broadcasting of assistance requests. Householding and agriculture suffered from the tsunami, leaving the workforce homeless and unemployed. The impact on human living was so grave the governments established agencies specifically for dealing with restoration efforts, like Agency for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh and Nias in Indonesia.

The realization that the region is now susceptible to tsunamis provoked the change in perception of its safety. Appendix B (Frankenberg et al. 4) shows the exodus of the inhabitants of the affected area over the years. The graph suggests the positive correlation between the degree of devastation and the number of people leaving the region. It is also apparent that the more damage the infrastructure suffered, the more population left, with high damage areas getting abandoned by up to 30%. This is also supported by a map in Appendix C (Suppasri et al. 3317). It depicts the low population in density in the areas that were affected by the tsunami. Red dots pinpoint the location of tsunamis that were caused by the 2004 catastrophe, thus encouraging people to migrate.

The government launched a reconstruction program for the affected areas. The magnitude of the disaster provoked diverse humanitarian aid from countries, non-governmental organizations, and corporations. For instance, Srivastava writes that “Charitable organizations constructed many more houses than the government organizations and therefore rehabilitation was achieved at a quicker pace” (200). The international aid included financial assistance, medical supplies, food, clothes, and volunteers. Combined with governmental activities, they rebuilt the area, although a large proportion of the inhabitants chose to immigrate from the shoreline.

Overall, the 2004 natural disaster was a shocking event with numerous scientific, economic, and social implications. The unexpected appearance of tsunami provoked geological research that linked the regional contemporary tsunami vulnerability to the ancient catastrophes. The governments were forced to react and institute proper evacuation and preparation measures. The substantial damage to the area and massive civilian casualties attracted attention and help from the international community in restoration efforts. Meanwhile, the catastrophe served as the catalyst for later tsunamis that were less disastrous in scale but caused the population exodus from high-damage areas.

Bletery, Quentin, et al. “A Bayesian Source Model for the 2004 Great Sumatra‐Andaman Earthquake.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth , vol. 121, no. 7, 2016, pp. 5116-5135.

Frankenberg, Elizabeth, et al. “Should I Stay or Should I Go? Long-Term Migration after the Indian Ocean Tsunami.” Population Association of American Annual Meeting . 2017. pp. 1-10.

Hall, Sarah, et al. “Awareness of Tsunami Natural Warning Signs and Intended Evacuation Behaviors in Java, Indonesia.” Natural Hazards , vol. 89, no.1, 2017, pp. 473-496.

Ismail, Nafesa, et al. “Livelihood Changes in Banda Aceh, Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.” International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction , vol. 28, 2018, pp. 439-449.

Sieh, Kerry, et al. “Penultimate Predecessors of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in Aceh, Sumatra: Stratigraphic, Archeological, and Historical Evidence.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth , vol. 120, no. 1, 2015, pp. 308-325.

Srivastava, Mitashree. “Life and Livelihood in Coastal Community post Tsunami 2004: An Anthropological Case Study of Arattupuzha Village of Kerala.” Development, Resources and Livelihoods , no. 15, 2015, pp. 192-202.

Suppasri, Anawat, et al. “A Decade after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: The Progress in Disaster Preparedness and Future Challenges in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives.” Pure and Applied Geophysics , vol. 172, no. 12, 2012, pp. 3313-3341.

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The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka Analytical Essay

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Introduction

The stay of mankind on planet earth has often witnessed moments of helplessness when natural disasters have stuck; thus, destroying many lives and disorienting mankind in the process. From our earliest ancestors to the modern man, we have not been safe from the anger of natural disasters.

Ranging from volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and the destructive tsunamis, we are susceptible to an array of natural disasters that is always waiting to strike. Such was the case when a tsunami hit the coastline of Sri Lanka on 26 th December, 2004.

Without warning, thousands of people were killed by the 2004 tsunami. Such is the common story that is often told when catastrophic disasters like a tsunami strikes. Although we have evolved in science and thus learned many secrets of our world, we have not been able to subdue natural disasters. Since all life is precious, it is our responsibility to use the resources we have, and adopt a behaviour that can help us preserve even a few lives during catastrophic events.

Generally, a tsunami can be defined as a series of wave disturbances which usually originate from a vertical displacement of a water column (Abek 1561). The word “tsunami” has an origin in the Japanese language. Here, “tsunami” can be directly translated as a series of waves that often form at bays (Hassain 51).

Usually, anything with a potential of displacing, or moving a large volume of water can cause a tsunami (Vitarana 84). The most common causes of tsunamis include earthquakes, moving heavenly bodies such as meteorites and asteroids, volcanoes, and landslides (Vitarana 84).

Earthquakes

Most tsunamis originate from earthquakes. Once an earthquake occurs on a sea bed, a large mass of water is displaced upwards. Due to the force of gravity, the displaced volume of water will move downwards to regain its original position (Vitarana 84).

A repetitive cycle where a water column moves up and down is created; hence forming a wave. Usually, a displacement of a water column will occur when part of a sea bed is displaced (UNEP 12). A fault line in the earths crust can especially create a boundary where a vertical displacement of the sea bed can easily occur (Liu 106).

Earthquakes that occur on subduction trenches are the main causes of most tsunamis (Liu 106). The tsunami waves that originate from an earthquake source can then move away from the place where they originate thousands of miles (Moore 143). Knowing the magnitude of an earthquake can especially be useful in determining the scale of tsunamis that have travelled thousands of miles from their source (Hassain 51).

Tsunamis can also originate from landslides. Landslides can occur at the seabed, or at the coast (Vitarana 84). Possible causes of such landslides include the earthquakes, the erosion of sea slopes, and volcanoes (Hanson 67).

The erosion of coastal slopes can occur as a result of rain action, from sea waves, and storms (Hanson 67). Due to a displacement of sea water as a result of displaced debris from landslides, a series of waves that has a potential of causing a tsunami is formed (Van 24).

When a volcano occurs above the surface of the sea, but in proximity to the sea’s surface, a large quantity of rock debris is thrown into the sea. When such debris falls into the sea, it displaces water; hence, creating waves that can cause a tsunami.

However, volcanic eruptions that occur under a sea are more hazardous in forming tsunamis (Hassain 51). Tsunamis can originate from a displacement of water that is caused from a rising slope of a volcano (Van 24).

Besides, gases that are usually released from an erupting volcano can also cause a large water displacement; hence, forming a tsunami in themselves (Hanson 67). Moreover, a volcano can also trigger an earthquake, which can then trigger a tsunami (Damen 106).

Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids

Our earth is constantly in danger of colliding with heavenly bodies like comets, asteroids and meteorites (Hanson 67). While one might think that great damage from such collisions will occur if such bodies hit the earth’s surface in an area that is densely populated (such as a town), a greater catastrophic damage will happen if such bodies strike at sea (Abek 1561).

For example, scientists estimate that if an asteroid that is about six kilometres in size was to fall in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a third of the US population would be killed (Damen 106). The gigantic speed and size of a typical asteroid can create huge waves (tsunamis) that can cause a devastating damage to our population (Liu 106).

Although the possibility of us experiencing such a collision (from a heavenly body such as a comet) is almost zero, there is always a possibility, however remote, of such a catastrophe (Abek 1561).

Activities of Man

Any human activity that can result in a displacement of a large volume of sea water can lead to the build-up of a tsunami wave. The carrying out of nuclear tests in deep sea can especially release large amounts of energy which can then displace large volumes of sea water; hence, leading to the development of a tsunami wave.

Characteristics of a Tsunami

As we had seen earlier, a tsunami originates from a displacement of a large volume of water (Van 24). Such a displacement creates a wave that moves up and down. A tsunami is therefore a wave that is very similar to the kind of wave ripples that we usually observe when we throw a stone in a tank of water (Damen 106).

Very often, a tsunami will travel as a series of multiple waves; hence, it is usually called a train of waves (Damen 106). Once it forms, a tsunami can travel thousands of miles in the sea before reaching a coastal area (Liu 106).

For example, a tsunami with an origin in the Atlantic can travel at an incredible speed of over 1000 km/hr to reach the Japanese coastline within 24 hours. Usually, tsunamis travel at very high speeds in deep sea waters (Hassain 51).

However, on reaching shallow waters, the speeds of tsunamis usually reduce gradually (Van 24). Such behaviour results from an energy flux that remains constant during a wave travel (Hanson 67). Since the energy flux of a tsunami is proportional to the speed and amplitude of a tsunami wave, tsunamis at deep waters will travel at high speeds and low amplitudes.

Unlike their counterparts in shallow waters, such tsunamis will usually consist of waves that are small in amplitude and long (in horizontal size) (Abek 1561). Indeed, it is sometimes difficult to physically observe a tsunami wave that is travelling in the deep sea (Moore 115).

However, as a tsunami moves into shallow waters towards a coastal area, its speed decreases while its amplitude increases. Travelling at a speed that is proportional to the square root of gravity constant multiplied by depth, a tsunami that is travelling in water that has a depth of five kilometres can move at a speed of over 800 km/hr.

On hitting a coastline, such a tsunami can travel at amplitude that is within ten to fifty meters. Such tsunamis can be observed as a series of water waves forming a series of rises that alternate with falls at the coastline. Usually, tsunamis can occur for several hours.

Like any other wave, tsunami waves can add to one another to form waves with higher amplitudes, or subtract from one another to form waves of lower (or zero) amplitudes (Moore 116).

The 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka

The date of 26 th December, 2004, will be remembered for a long time by many people in Sri Lanka. During this particular date, a tsunami of a large magnitude and scale hit the coastline of Sri Lanka (Liu 117). The 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka was caused by an earthquake of a high magnitude that occurred in the western coast of Sumatra (Moore 138).

The focal depth of this particular earthquake was about thirty kilometres (Liu 117). Described as the worst earthquake to occur in the history of our planet in the past five decades, the earthquake that caused Sri Lanka’s tsunami measured over 9.0 on the Richter scale (Liu 106).

The above earthquake originated from an interaction of Australian, Sunda, and Burmerse tectonic plates. Here, as much as 30 meters of the sea bed covering a distance of over one thousand kilometres was displaced (Abek 1561).

Thus, the displacement that was caused by the described tsunami resulted in a vertical displacement of a very large volume of water; hence, creating a tsunami (Moore 129). Moreover, the 9.0 earthquake caused a series of about fifteen other earthquakes in the affected region.

As a result of a water displacement (caused by the resulting upward movement of the sea floor) that was caused by the 9.0 earthquake, a series of three tsunami waves was formed (Liu 106). Time duration between these tsunami waves averaged about twenty minutes.

Effects of the 2004 Sri Lanka’s Tsunami

When a tsunami reaches a coastline, it travels with high amplitude (from ten meters to even fifty meters). Thus, water overflows from the coastline towards the inland. Such a moving volume of water travels at a high speed, and with enormous energy that can cause huge destructions.

The 2004 tsunami, which hit the Sri Lankan coastline, affected more than two thirds of the Sri Lankan coastline. More than 20% of the Sri Lankan population was thus affected by the 2004 tsunami. Here, the moving tsunami wave drowned and killed thousands of people.

There were especially many deaths since the country was not expecting a tsunami, and was not therefore prepared for an emergency evacuation. It is reported that due to ignorance, thousands of Sri Lanka’s went to learn of what had happened when the first of the three series of tsunami waves hit their coastline (Liu 119).

Usually, due to interactions with a coastline (often leading to a loss of energy), the first wave of a tsunami is often less devastating than those that follow after it. Thousands of people here were thus caught unaware and killed by the second wave of the 2004 tsunami.

The total number of people who were killed in Sri Lanka by the 2004 tsunami has been estimated to be around 31,000 in total (Liu 119). A larger proportion of those killed by the 2004 Tsunami consisted of women and children.

It is estimated that over 10,000 of those killed here during the tsunami disaster consisted of children (Liu 119). Apart from deaths, about seventeen thousand people were injured by the tsunami tragedy while more than five thousand were reported as missing (Liu 119).

Moreover, the overflowing waters of the 2004 tsunami resulted in a massive destruction of property along the Sri Lankan coastline. As a result of the 2004 tsunami tragedy, more than eighty thousand homes were destroyed; hence, displacing about a million individuals as a result.

So as to cater for the needs of the people who were displaced by the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, about 800 camps for the displaced were formed. Many of the people in these resettlement camps had lost their property and livelihoods as a result of the tsunami tragedy. Many others had to undergo psychological trauma due to the negative ways in which the tsunami had affected their ordinary living.

Apart from houses, many infrastructural facilities were destroyed by the 2004 tsunami; thus affecting transport, communication and also posing a reconstruction challenge. A lot of debris could be seen around all the areas that had been affected by the tsunami.

Besides, the 2004 tsunami affected the ground fresh water table through salinization of fresh water sources. It will take a lot of efforts and time to clean some of these water tables that were affected.

Since the Indian Ocean bed has been proven to contain lesser amounts of titanium as compared to the Pacific Ocean, more studies will be required before we can determine if large amounts of titanium was deposited inland during the 2004 tsunami.

Economic Impacts

The 2004 tsunami affected the economy of Sri Lanka in several negative ways. Many people lost their sources of livelihoods as a result of the 2004 tsunami. Some of these people who had lost their livelihoods had lost their businesses and houses, which had been destroyed by the destructive tsunami waves (Dawson 224).

Moreover, since a large community of the Sri Lankan population depends on fishing, many fishermen became poor as a result of losing their boats to the destructive tsunami waves that had hit their coastline (Dawson 224). A United Nations report on the 2004 tsunami catastrophe estimated that about two hundred thousand people in Sri Lanka were in danger of becoming poorer following the 2004 tsunami tragedy (Dawson 224).

Because a large part of hotels, beaches, among other tourist facilities were destroyed by the tsunami tragedy, the tourism economy of Sri Lanka was affected negatively. With no places were tourists could visit and relax, the number of tourists arrivals in Sri Lanka decreased significantly.

As a result, many people who were directly employed by the tourism sector lost their jobs. Moreover, due to a decrease in tourist arrivals, Sri Lanka was thus losing an important source of foreign exchange for developing her economy.

With a destruction of her infrastructure as a result of the tsunami tragedy, billions of dollars were needed for restructuring. With limited resources, it will be difficult to meet the cost of restructuring affected infrastructure. Meanwhile, as a result of infrastructural destruction, many businesses were affected negatively (Dawson 224).

Many of these businesses depend on telecommunication, electrical power, and transport to carry on with their day to day activities. Most of these businesses are small businesses that contributed positively to the Sri Lankan economy (through employment of people and paying of taxes).

Since most of these businesses have suffered from a displacement of people (hence a loss of market and human resource), and also from a physical damage of their properties and facilities, they have found themselves in a very repelling environment to operate in; thus, limiting their capacity and output to the Sri Lankan economy.

Measures that can be taken to Avoid Future Tsunami Disasters

No matter how much we prepare, we can never be ready for natural disasters. However, a possible measure of precautions and preparedness can help us to avoid, or minimize the destructive effects of natural disasters.

Although there is uncertainty on the effectiveness of using technology to mitigate the effects of natural disasters such as tsunamis, we should always work in the direction of utilizing such technologies if we can save a few lives as a result.

Together with several countries, the United States has developed and placed sensors at specific areas on the seabed of the Pacific Ocean. These pressure sensors have been designed to detect possible tsunami waves (UNEP 18).

Since tsunamis consist of waves that have rising and falling amplitudes, the resulting difference in the depth of water can cause pressure alterations at sea beds. These pressure alterations can thus be detected by pressure sensors at the seabed (Meihde 56).

However, since such a process of measurement is highly complex, it is very difficult for sensors at the sea bed to have accuracies that can detect tsunami waves. Still, the progress that has been made in using sensors to analyse data for a possible tsunami waves is positive (UNEP 12).

Moreover, since tsunamis interact with the coastline in a way that is difficult to predict, it is equally difficult to predict their behaviour. Sometimes, tsunami waves can add together or cancel one another; hence, making it difficult to determine their eventual behaviour (Meihde 56).

Several researchers remain uncertain if the tsunami warning technology in the Pacific Ocean can be replanted in the Indian Ocean. Still, Sri Lanka has been part of an ongoing program that has been working with several other countries to develop a system that can monitor for possible tsunamis before they occur (Liu 106).

Under the tsunami warning system, The Sri Lankan meteorological department will work together with Japanese technologies and the Pacific Tsunami Warning System (PTWC) to possibly help in the detection of future tsunamis (Yadav 107).

Although we do not have a reliable system of detecting tsunamis, the above development is progressive in developing reliable systems that can be useful in detecting and monitoring tsunamis before they hit a coastline (Andrew 23). However, since the Indian Ocean bed is different in structure and complexity to the Pacific Ocean bed, there is a need for scientists to develop a warning system that is unique to the Indian Ocean (Patra 362).

Currently, there has been a debate on whether to allow building of houses a few meters from the coastline (UNEP 21). Here, it will be useful to develop buildings that are protective and safe from tsunamis. Importantly, there is also a need to conserve the Sri Lankan coastline (Meihde 56).

A huge part of the coastline should be planted with mangrove forests (Patra 362). A thick cover of mangrove forests is useful in cutting and breaking tsunami waves before they move further inland (Yadav 107). Conservation of the Sri Lankan coastline will thus be useful in at least reducing possible damages that may occur from future tsunamis (Andrew 22).

Importantly, the political leadership in Sri Lanka has become more aware of damages that can result from natural disasters like tsunami attacks.

With such awareness, the political leadership in Sri Lanka can prepare for emergencies and move with speed to mitigate damages that can arise from similar disasters in the future (Patra 362). Here, it will be useful to develop a quick response system that can help in quick evacuations and treatments during times of natural disasters (Yadav 107).

An important area that needs to be utilised for the purposes of mitigating the effects of future natural disasters is the use of technology. Here, technology can especially be used to help in assessing the damage that could have occurred following the occurrence of a natural disaster (Patra 362).

Importantly, technology can be employed to communicate with the people who are in danger of being hit by a natural disaster (Andrew 22). It is fruitful to relay information to a target populace with instructions on where they can move to stay safe, what they can do, and how they can ask for help during such times (Meihde 56).

As we had seen earlier, a large number of people who died during the 2004 tsunami attack died from the second wave (Yadav 107). Having heard of what had happened, many people moved in ignorance to witness the effects of the first wave before the more deadly second wave hit (Yadav 107).

With the right communication, these people could have been told to stay away from the beach; hence, cutting on the number of fatalities that occurred (Patra 362). As it has been proven time and again, an effective system of coordination and communication is essential in saving lives during times of natural disasters (Andrew 23).

Natural disasters will always remain a part of us during our stay on planet earth. So as to minimize the loss of lives during natural disasters, it is useful for man to utilize all resources at his disposal to preserve lives during the occurrence of natural disasters.

Such a direction would involve understanding the science of natural disasters like tsunamis, and thus develop measures that can help in warning, planning and rescue programs when natural disasters strike. The 2004 tsunami has especially provided us with important lessons on the direction that we can adopt to prevent massive deaths during such disasters.

Adopting programs that are helpful in preparing for such disasters can be fruitful in saving many lives.

Such a direction would involve developing an efficient system of communication, designing and implementing a standby resource of manpower and machinery for emergencies, using technological systems to warn for possible oncoming disasters, and importantly, developing a system of peaceful coexistence with our natural environment (such as the planting of mangrove forests along coastlines to help in subduing tsunamis).

Works Cited

Abek, Kennedy, “Physical Size of Tsunamigenic Earthquakes from Tsunami Data.” Journal of Geography Research , volume 84.1 (2006): 1561-1568. Print

Andrew, John, “Tsunami Generated Forms.” Science of Tsunami Hazards 10.1 (2003): 21-34. Print

Damen, Michiel, What are Tsunamis? New York: McGraw, 2008. Print

Dawson, Foster “The Identification of Tsunami Deposits in Coastal Sediments.” Science of Tsunami Hazards 9.4 (2000): 206-423. Print

Hanson, Briggs, Sea level Change in North Iceland , London: McMillan, 2004. Print

Hassain, Kundsen, Effects of the 2004 Tsunami in India , Mumbai: McGraw, 2007 Print

Liu, Fearn, History of Tsunami Catastrophes , Beijing: McMillan, 2009. Print

Meihde, Mark, Characteristics of Tsunamis . New York: International Institute For geo-information Science Press, 2006 Print

Moore, Normark, Giant Hawaiian Landslides , New York: McMillan, 2005. Print

Patra, Singh, Agrochemical , Mumbai: McMillan, 1996. Print

UNEP, Early Warning Systems, New York: UNEP Press, 2011. Print Van, Frank, the Science of Tsunamis, New York: International Institute For geo-information Science Press, 2006 Print

Vitarana, Tissa, Sri Lanka after the Indian Ocean Tsunami New York: International Institute for geo-information Science Press, 2006 Print

Yadav, Agarwal, Soil, Water Conservation . Mumbai: Oxford, 2007. Print

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IvyPanda. (2019, July 9). The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-2004-tsunami-in-sri-lanka/

"The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka." IvyPanda , 9 July 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/the-2004-tsunami-in-sri-lanka/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka'. 9 July.

IvyPanda . 2019. "The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka." July 9, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-2004-tsunami-in-sri-lanka/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka." July 9, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-2004-tsunami-in-sri-lanka/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka." July 9, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-2004-tsunami-in-sri-lanka/.

Ten Years Since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

• Alan Taylor
• December 26, 2014

On this day, ten years ago, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck beneath the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, generating a massive tsunami that claimed more than 230,000 lives in fourteen different countries, one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. Today, many of the communities have recovered, though painful memories and some ruined structures remain in place. Across Asia today, memorials were held in remembrance of the thousands of victims. Amid the commemorations, continued warnings from earthquake experts that early-warning systems need even more development and funding in the region. Gathered here are images of the 2004 event, a series of then-and-now comparison images, and photos from today's memorials.

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Seawater splashes in the air as the the first tsunami waves hit Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand, on December 26, 2004. #

Foreign tourists far out on the sand after the water receded react as the first of six tsunami waves started to roll towards Hat Rai Lay Beach, near Krabi in southern Thailand, on December 26, 2004. #

People flee as a tsunami wave comes crashing ashore at Koh Raya, part of Thailand's territory in the Andaman islands, 23 kilometers from Phuket island, southern Thailand, on December 26, 2004. The photographer who took this picture escaped without injury, but retreated at the first wave and watched as a second wave tore apart the wooden buildings, with a third and largest wave coming forward and "ripping apart the cement buildings like they were made of balsa wood". #

Waves wash through houses at Maddampegama, about 60 kilometers (38 miles) south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on December 26, 2004. Tsunami waves triggered by earthquakes crashed into villages along a wide stretch of Sri Lankan coast, killing more than 35,300 people and displacing millions. #

In this photo taken by a tourist Eric Skitzi from England, tourists watch as tsunami waves hit the shore from inside the Casuarina Beach Hotel resort in Penang, northwestern Malaysia around 1:00pm local time (0500GMT) on December 26, 2004. The resort hotel lifeguards noticed waves were huge and sounded warning to all tourists around the hotel beach area to run to the safety area. #

Waves crash through houses at Maddampegama, Sri Lanka, on December 26, 2004. #

A natural color satellite image shows the coastline of the southwestern city of Kalutara, Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004 at 10:20 a.m. local time, slightly less than four hours after the 6:28 a.m. (local Sri Lanka time) earthquake and shortly after the moment of tsunami impact. #

An aerial view of a destroyed and flooded village after waves hit following an earthquake near the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia, on December 28, 2004. #

A general view of the scene at Marina beach in Madras, India, on December 26, 2004, after tsunami waves hit the region. Waves devastated the southern Indian coastline killing an estimated 18,000 people. #

An aerial view of Marina beach after a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean hit the area in the southern Indian city of Madras on December 26, 2004. #

This photo of Phuket, Thailand was taken moments after the Indian Ocean Tsunami ravaged Southern Asia on December 26, 2004. #

An Indian woman mourns the death of her relative who was killed in the tsunami in Cuddalore, some 180 km (112 mi) south of the southern Indian city of Madras, on December 28, 2004. #

(1 of 2) A file photo taken on January 5, 2005 of the devastated district of Banda Aceh in Aceh province located on Indonesia's Sumatra island in the aftermath of the massive December 26, 2004 tsunami. #

(2 of 2) The same location as above, photographed on December 1, 2014, showing new houses and rebuilt community. #

(1 of 2) A file photo taken on January 9, 2005 of the impassable main coastal road covered with debris in Aceh Besar district, in Aceh province on Indonesia's Sumatra island where surrounding houses and buildings were heavily damaged and coastal villages wiped out in the aftermath of the massive December 26, 2004 tsunami. #

(2 of 2) The same location as above, photographed on November 29, 2014, showing the new highway. #

(1 of 2) Indonesian military personnel unload corpses from a truck on January 9, 2005 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Estimates of the death toll in Indonesia top 150,000. #

(2 of 2) In the same location as above, a man walks near the mass grave prior to the ten year anniversary of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami on December 11, 2014 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

(1 of 2) A file photo taken with a telephoto lens on January 16, 2005 of a partly damaged mosque in the Lampuuk coastal district of Banda Aceh where surrounding houses were wiped out in the aftermath of the massive December 26, 2004 tsunami. #

(2 of 2) Tthe same location as above, photographed with a wide angle lens on December 1, 2014, showing the renovated mosque surrounded by new houses and rebuilt community. #

(1 of 2) An aerial shot taken from a US Navy Seahawk helicopter from carrier USS Abraham Lincoln shows devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami to the west of Aceh on January 8, 2005 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

(2 of 2) A view of the same area of Lampuuk, prior to the ten year anniversary of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami on December 11, 2014 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

(1 of 2) Acehnese walk amid dead bodies and debris thrown around by a Tsunami that hit the Indonesian City of Banda Aceh on December 28, 2004 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

(2 of 2) At the same location as above, people drive along Panglima Polim street prior to the ten year anniversary of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami on December 10, 2014 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

(1 of 2) All over Ton Sai Bay, the heart of Koh Phi Phi shops, restaurants and bungalows were totally wiped out following a Tsunami December 28, 2004 on Phi Phi Island, Thailand. #

(2 of 2) A decade later, the same location, showing a view of the beach prior to the ten year anniversary of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami on December 12, 2014 in Phi Phi Village, Ton Sai Bay, Thailand. #

The ruins the dome of a mosque that was hit by the tsunami, seen on December 14, 2014 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

Acehnese women cry as they pray at mass grave to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Boxing Day tsunami on December 26, 2014 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

Ruins of a bridge that was hit by the tsunami, seen on December 14, 2014 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. #

Visitors take pictures of the glowing names of tsunami victims at Aceh Tsunami Museum in Banda Aceh on December 26, 2014. Survivors of Asia's 2004 tsunami and relatives of its victims cried and prayed as they gathered along Indian Ocean shorelines on Friday for memorials to mark the 10th anniversary of a disaster that still leaves an indelible mark on the region. #

Personal possessions of 2004 tsunami victims are arranged to be photographed outside a police station in Takua Pa, in Phang Nga province, on December 19, 2014. Thai police opened a shipping container filled with documents and possessions of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami after being asked by Reuters for permission to film its contents. The three meter by 12 meter container was handed over to Thai police in 2011 and contains hundreds of plastic police evidence bags - each one holding the precious items found on the body of a victim. #

People light candles as survivors, local residents and visitors gather for a ceremony for victims of 2004 tsunami in Ban Nam Khem, a southern fishing village destroyed by the wave, on December 26, 2014. In Thailand, where 5,395 people were killed, among them about 2,000 foreign tourists, commemoration ceremonies will be held in Ban Nam Khem. #

Hundreds of lanterns which symbolizes the spirits of victims of the Asian tsunami, are released into the sky during a commemoration service to mark the 10th anniversary of the day this natural disaster happened, on December 26, 2014 in Ban Nam Khem, Thailand. #

Soe, the eight-year-old daughter of a fisherman from Myanmar, rests in a hammock outside her family home in Ban Nam Khem, Thailand, on December 13, 2014. Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village on Thailand's Andaman Sea coast and home to a large migrant workers' community, lost nearly half of its population of 5,000 in the 2004 tsunami. #

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Impact of 2004 Tsunami in the Islands of Indian Ocean: Lessons Learned

Georges ramalanjaona.

1 Department of Emergency Medicine, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, 327 Beach 19th Street, Far Rockaway, New York, NY 11691, USA

2 Department of Emergency Medicine, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, 3264 Wolfson Dive, Baldwin, New York, NY 11510, USA

Tsunami of 2004, caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, is the most devastating tsunami in modern times, affecting 18 countries in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa, killing more than 250,000 people in a single day, and leaving more than 1.7 million homeless. However, less reported, albeit real, is its impact in the islands of the Indian Ocean more than 1,000 miles away from its epicenter. This is the first peer-reviewed paper on the 2004 tsunami events specifically in the eleven nations bordering the Indian Ocean, as they constitute a region at risk, due to the presence of tectonic interactive plate, absence of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean, and lack established communication network providing timely information to that region. Our paper has a dual objective: the first objective is to report the 2004 tsunami event in relation to the 11 nations bordering the Indian Ocean. The second one is to elaborate on lessons learned from it from national, regional, and international disaster management programs to prevent such devastating consequences of tsunami from occurring again in the future.

1. Introduction

Tsunami is a series of ocean waves typically caused by large undersea earthquakes or volcano eruptions at tectonic plate boundaries. These surges of water may reach 100 feet and cause widespread destruction when they crash ashore. They race across the sea at a speed up to 500 miles per hour and cross the entire Pacific Ocean in less than one day. Their long wavelength means that they lose very little energy along the way.

Tsunami of December 2004, caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, is the most infamous tsunami of modern times with disastrous consequences in many areas [ 1 ]

• humanitarian toll: it affected more than 18 countries from Southeast Asia to Southern Africa, killing more than 250,000 people in a single day and leaving more than one million homeless,
• economic toll: it left several million of dollars of economic loss affecting fishing and tourist industries,
• environmental and medical threats including water pollution and flooding and endemic diseases.

The rationale for writing this paper is to report the tsunami events in the eleven nations bordering the Indian Ocean, as they received less publicity than their Southeast Asian countries counterpart although the 2004 tsunami had real humanitarian, economic, and environmental impact in these regions more than 1,000 miles away from the epicenter [ 2 ].

Furthermore, these regions are at risk from the devastating effects of future tsunami due to the presence of a tectonic interactive plate [ 3 ], absence of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean, and lack of established communication network providing timely information to that region.

2. Methodology

This paper is a review of documents collected by WHO and other organizations/authors involved in disaster management during the 2004 tsunami.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. impact of tsunami in the islands of the indian ocean.

These eleven countries bordering the Indian Ocean are Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion Island, and Seychelles, Comoros islands and by geographical extension include countries in southern borders of Africa such as Somalia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa.

These individual countries suffered humanitarian loss with more than 3,000 people killed and left more than 10,000 homeless about 1,000 miles away from epicenter. In terms of economic toll, several million dollars were reported accompanied by environmental threat due to flooding.

Specifically included is a country by country report [ 4 ] with other south-Asian countries.

(i) Mauritius —

Large waves completely submerged one village in north of the island. Although there was no death published, a significant economic loss in millions of dollars was reported.

(ii) Madagascar —

Waves up to 10 meters were seen in southeastern region of the island. There was one death and more than 1,000 people homeless. Furthermore, there were considerable economic damages inflicted in touristic and fishing industries and infrastructure disruptions due to flooding and beach erosion ( http://savannah.gatech.edu/cee/groups/tsunami/madagascar.html ).

(iii) Reunion Island —

It suffered mostly economic damages over one million dollars involving fishing industries with more than 200 boats sunk. No deaths were reported.

(iv) Seychelles —

Ten people were reported killed, and flooding destroyed a major bridge between the capital Port Victoria and main airport. Also, the island reported devastating economic loss in millions of dollars due to hotels, housing, public utilities, and fishing damages.

(v) Somalia —

More than 300 deaths were reported and 5,000 displaced.

(vi) Tanzania —

Tsunami killed ten people with unknown number missing along with significant economic damages.

(vii) Kenya —

Two deaths and two injured people were reported.

(viii) South Africa —

8 people were killed about 8,000 km away from the epicenter.

(ix) Indonesia —

122,232 deaths and 113,937 missing.

(x) Shri Lanka —

30,974 killed and 4,698 missing.

(xi) Thailand —

5,395 killed and 2,993 missing.

(xii) Maldives —

82 deaths and 26 missing.

(xiii) Malaysia —

68 deaths reported.

(xiv) Myanmar —

(xv) bangladesh —, (xvi) burma —, 3.2. lessons learned from 2004 tsunami.

To prevent the devastating effects of future tsunami, these islands of Indian Ocean have set their priorities in achieving 3 goals [ 5 ]:

• development of disaster tsunami program which include implementation of tsunami program at national level, regional, and international levels and coordination of all these programs,
• development of an Indian Ocean early warning system,
• development of tsunami research program.

3.2.1. National Level

The most studied plans are the Madagascar plan, the tsunami early warning and response system in Mauritius, and the creation of the Department of Risk and Disaster Management in Seychelles.

(i) Madagascar Plan —

It was developed in 2006 and is the most exhaustive of all the other national plans and should serve as a model for other islands. It includes 5 objectives:

• development of national evacuation plan on tsunami,
• establishment of early warning system in conjunction with regional system,
• increase public and community awareness through publication and training of media and local authorities,
• conduct mock exercises on tsunami,
• strengthen the operational capacity of national meteorological service to include national warning system.

3.2.2. Regional Level

Disaster management is a regional priority in the Indian Ocean due to permanent threat of cyclones, floods, and tsunamis. The stated two goals set by a series of regional meetings in 2005 and 2006 are [ 6 ] the following:

• implementation of Indian Ocean tsunami warning and mitigation system (IOTWS), which focused on defining disaster management and reduction (prevention, mitigation, response and relief) of disaster by all the participating countries,
• development of integrated regional information network (IRIN) with the goals of creation of an early warning system for the islands in the Indian Ocean and ensuring adequate equipment to manage natural disasters including tsunamis.

The important issues are the cost of establishing such warning system in the Indian Ocean, the transfer of existing technology versus improving, old one, global warming and extreme weather events in that region.

3.2.3. International Level

A series of international meetings have been convened to discuss the role international organizations [ 7 ]:

• development of tsunami warning and mitigation system,
• coordination of national tsunami warning center with regional centers,
• funding of projects and rehabilitation of roads and bridges
• increase public awareness and training of key staff in tsunami preparedness and warning at all levels.

3.3. Future and Challenges

The main challenge for all the islands of the Indian Ocean is to coordinate all the national efforts with existing regional and international endeavors to meet their stated priorities before the next tsunami events.

The role of one special group of physicians should be mentioned at all these levels.

Emergency physicians are knowledgeable on the risks of tsunami and are trained in the field of disaster management, thus they are true expert. They should get involve as leaders in local, national, and international organizations as resources in disaster management as well as humanitarian institutions such as Red Cross.

4. Conclusion

This paper is the first peer-reviewed paper on the impact of the 2004 tsunami on the islands bordering the Indian Ocean and the lessons learned from this event from national, regional, and international organizations to prevent such events from occurring again in the future.

Tsunami is an ever-present and real threat for the these islands of the Indian Ocean due to the presence of a tectonic interactive plate.

Their disaster management priority is the development of an early tsunami warning system in order to effectively and timely communicate with all the people in that region.

Disaster management should involve national, regional, and international organizations at all levels in order to develop tsunami program, fund tsunami projects, and continue research program.

Essay on Tsunami 2004, 250-300 words

Essay on tsunami 2004: Tsunami is most dreadful of all-natural calamities. It means terrible sea-shore waves. Whenever Tsunami happens there is a lot of destruction at the ports and nearby areas. Tsunamis are to happen from time to time. Sometimes they are destructive and other times not so.

A tsunami happens due to the earthquake. Whenever an earthquake happens deep inside the sea or at the ports then sea-waves arise in a terrible way. They are very destructive. Man cannot fore-cost its happening. We have to face many types of ruins at the time of the Tsunami .

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On December 24, 2004 , India. South Asia and South East Asia faced a very terrible Tsunami . It was so terrible inside the sea that Sri Lanka and Indian coastal areas faced deadly

Destruction. Lakhs of people died many more affected. Wounded people are countless in that tragedy. We are helpless for those who are died. But the whole world is open-heartedly providing relief to the survivors of the Tsunami . Many heads of states, organization and departments are heading towards the rebuilding process of the victims we should help them by providing them shelter , food, and education etc.

The destruction in tsunami 2004 has proved that disaster management in India is too poor to facing natural calamities like a tsunami. It is needed. It is the need of this age to develop a powerful system to guess and to forecast the natural calamities. If we have proper and adequate measures then we can prevent the mass loss of lives and property. With the help of Japan and British technology Indian Met-depth. Is developing fore-telling measures in this regard. We have a wide range of coastal areas in India. So it is the demand for time to be well-equipped with the latest technology.

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