The Andaman and Nicobar Islands appear to have shifted south-west by around 1.25m (4ft 1in) and to have sunk by 1m (3ft 3in). Then I got hungry, so I drove toward the beach in order to find something to eat. A great deal of humanitarian aid was needed because of widespread damage to the infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and economic damage. [151], 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. Review how underwater earthquakes, volcanoes, or landslides can generate tsunamis, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Indian-Ocean-tsunami-of-2004, National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Impact of 2004 Tsunami in the Islands of Indian Ocean: Lessons Learned, Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). In South Andaman island, based on local eyewitnesses, there were three tsunami waves, with the third being the most destructive. The tsunami in Khao Lak was bigger due to offshore coral reefs and shallow seafloor which caused the tsunami to pile-up. The locals reported 10 to 12 waves, with the second and third being the highest and most destructive. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 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. Jennifer Ouellette - Mar 4, 2019 12:19 pm UTC Chapter 6, "Thailand", in Jayasuriya, Sisira and Peter McCawley. 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. [53] At Manzanillo, Mexico, a 2.6m (8.5ft) crest-to-trough tsunami was measured. The low-lying island country of Maldives reported more than a hundred casualties and immense economic damage. 165184. Before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami reached Sri Lanka, many animals, like this elephant, moved to high ground and survived. It was the result of an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra that took around 230,000 lives across fourteen countries. As a result, mangrove restoration become a focus of a number of projects, with varied success. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Then I went back home, right behind the temple. ', Primpraow Jitpentom - nurse on a diving trip near the Mahidol ship. Despite its proximity to the incident, Malaysia escaped the kind of damage that struck countries thousands of miles further away (most of its western coast is shielded by Sumatra). The tsunami arrived on the island as a small brown-orange-colored flood. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Many people were seen being swept out . [142], The last major tsunami in the Indian Ocean was about A.D. The largest amplitude signals are seismic surface waves that reach the antipode after about 100 minutes. 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. 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. [82] A video recorded by locals showed the tsunami flooding the beach and villages, causing despair amongst the villagers. The World Food Programme provided food aid to more than 1.3 million people affected by the tsunami. At that point, I still had no idea what had happened. The number of deaths currently stands at 68 with 5 people missing. Video footage revealed torrents of black water, surging by windows of a two-story residential area situated about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) inland. However, others caution that damage to infrastructure is an overriding factor. [99], According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a total of 227,898 people died. A person will be just swept up in it and carried along as debris; theres no swimming out of a tsunami, Garrison-Laney says. Its over 1,700-foot wave was the largest ever recorded for a tsunami. 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. It was the day after the hospital staff party - it was my day off and I had a long lie-in. [citation needed]. [72] In Sri Lanka, the civilian casualties were second only to those in Indonesia, with approximately 35,000 killed. [170] Many charities were given considerable donations from the public. [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). The deadliest tsunami in history occurred in the Indian Ocean in 2004. Significant earthquakes around the Pacific rim have generated tsunamis that struck Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. west coast. The tsunami and its aftermath were responsible for immense destruction and loss on the rim of the Indian Ocean. [6] A much higher number of deaths has been suggested for Myanmar based on reports from Thailand. Why were so many buildings destroyed in the 2011 Japanese earthquake? "Environmental Issues Emerging from Wreckage of Asian Tsunami", "United Nations Environment Programme; Environment for Development", "Many mangrove restorations fail. However, the public health risks may have been exaggerated, and therefore this may not have been the best way to allocate resources. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. It displaced the North Pole by 25mm (0.98in). 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". 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. Several thousand non-Asian tourists vacationing in the region also were reported dead or missing. Tsunamis there are relatively rare despite earthquakes being relatively frequent in Indonesia. [105] 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. Edie Fassnidge lost both her mother and sister in the tsunami. What is the deadliest tsunami in history? The Boxing Day tsunami would be the deadliest in recorded history, taking a staggering 230,000 lives in a matter of hours. Somchai Jitpentom - doctor on diving holiday with his wife. Many villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh were destroyed. The TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 satellites happened to pass over the tsunami as it was crossing the ocean. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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. 2004 tsunami Tsunami inundation at Khao Lak; the resort area is in the middle . The tsunami was the most lethal ever to have occurred, with a death toll that reached a staggering figure of over 230,000, affecting people in 14 countries with Indonesia hit worst, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. Often, the worst tsunamis are not the largest. The eastern shores of Sri Lanka 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. [132], The level of damage to the economy resulting from the tsunami depends on the scale examined. On the island of Pulau Weh, strong surges were experienced in the port of Sabang, yet there was little damage with reported runup values of 35m (9.816.4ft), most likely due to the island being sheltered from the direct attack by the islands to the south-west. However, tourists were reluctant to do so for psychological reasons. 250,000 people survived the 2004 Sumatra Tsunami. 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.[163]. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The earthquake was the third-most-powerful earthquake recorded since 1900. Indonesia is located along the ring of fire, a part of the Pacific Ocean that experiences many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. About 250 people perished directly in the tsunami. The only other recorded earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater were off Kamchatka, Russia, on 4 November 1952 (magnitude 9.0) and Thoku, Japan (magnitude 9.1) in March 2011. The highest death toll was in Hafun, with 19 dead and 160 people presumed missing out of its 5,000 inhabitants. A regular passenger train operating between Maradana and Matara was derailed and overturned by the tsunami and claimed at least 1,700 lives, the largest single rail disaster death toll in history. Because the 1,600km (1,000mi) fault affected by the earthquake was in a nearly northsouth orientation, the greatest strength of the tsunami waves was in an eastwest direction. The India Plate meets the Burma Plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian Plate) at the Sunda Trench. [36], The earthquake generated a seismic oscillation of the Earth's surface of up to 200300mm (812in), equivalent to the effect of the tidal forces caused by the Sun and Moon. [84] 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. I said the prayer into the microphone, so everyone could hear it. Epidemics were of particular concern due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. About 600 pilgrims died. The inundation was observed to extend 34km (1.92.5mi) inland throughout the city. We made a stop at Koh Racha Yai island in Phuket for a diving lesson for our interns. After a pause of about another 100 seconds, the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. An even higher runup point was measured on a cliff near the town of Eyl, solely on an eyewitness account. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. In Myanmar, the tsunami caused only moderate damage, which arrived between 2 and 5.5 hours after the earthquake. The maximum runup height of almost 9m (30ft) was recorded in Bandarbeyla. Some people survived . When I woke up again around 10:00, I took my family out for breakfast before I received a phone call from the hospital calling me in for an emergency. Officials estimated that billions of dollars would be needed. Tsunamis are giant waves that are produced when a large volume of water is displaced in an ocean or large lake by an earthquake, volcanic eruption, underwater landslide or meteorite. So we all agreed that we should go help other people on the nearby island since we had two doctors and two nurses on board. 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. 1.4. The southwestern shores are a hotspot for tourists and fishing. As I sat there, I felt the earthquake at around 08:00. [38] It also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 25mm (1in) in the direction of 145 east longitude,[39] or perhaps by up to 50 or 60mm (2.0 or 2.4in). [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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. 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. Being rich in coral reefs, the Maldives provides an opportunity for scientists to assess the impact of a tsunami on coral atolls. [140], 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. The hardest-hit country outside Asia, Sweden, lost 543 tourists, mainly in Thailand. Climb a tree (if you cant head for higher ground). 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. 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. Is there a better way? [148], Many health professionals and aid workers have reported widespread psychological trauma associated with the tsunami. We were happy to help many people that day. As the flood got closer, it started to pick up speed. The last major tsunami was caused by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. [17] Although the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has accepted these new numbers, the United States Geological Survey has, as of 2022, so far not changed its estimate of 9.1. July 1, 2022 by by Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Coastal villages were destroyed by the waves. The rupture proceeded at about 2.8km/s (1.74mi/s; 10,100km/h; 6,260mph), beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over about 100 seconds. However, tsunamis can strike thousands of kilometres away where the earthquake is felt only weakly or not at all. The maximum inundation limit due to tsunami water was about 500m (1,600ft). He was trapped and died inside the building where he was. The largest run-up measured was at 12.5m (41ft) with inundation distance of 3901,500m (1,2804,920ft) in Yala. The most affected was Prakasham District, recording 35 deaths, with maximum damage at Singraikonda. The oldest lvarez-Beln son studied medicine at University College in London and went on to become a doctor. Indonesia was the worst-hit country, with more than 120,000 dead. Areas with dense coconut groves or mangroves had much smaller inundation distances, and those with river mouths or backwaters saw larger inundation distances. In February 2005, scientists revised the estimate of the magnitude to 9.0. Click to see full answer. Located about 500km (310mi) from the epicentre, at the time, the region was popular with tourists because of Christmas. Rosie was saved by a stranger. Governments and non-governmental organizations feared that the final death toll might double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response. Proudly powered by WordPress | However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Luckily, it came up to street level and stopped. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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[167] [4] Radar satellites recorded the heights of tsunami waves in deep water: maximum height was at 600mm (2ft) two hours after the earthquake, the first such observations ever made. Shortly before 08:00 on 26 December 2004, a magnitude-9.1 earthquake struck under the sea in northern Indonesia. [83] The shrine's compound, nearby villages, hundreds of shops, homes and pilgrims were washed away into the sea. Credit: Courtesy. At Phuket Province, the island province's western beaches were struck by the tsunami. The second wave was the strongest. For example, in the United Kingdom, the public donated roughly 330 million sterling (nearly US$600 million). The Indian Plate is part of the great Indo-Australian Plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is moving north-east at an average of 60mm/a (0.075in/Ms). As I looked toward the shore of the island, I saw one big wave hit the beach and sweep umbrellas and chairs down into the sea. The rising magma intrudes into the crust above and exits the Earth's crust through volcanoes in the form of a volcanic arc. 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. Don't try to swim, someone will come to find you and help you.'. Comparisons with earlier earthquakes are difficult, as earthquake strength only began to be measured systematically in the 1930s. I chuckled at what I saw but it wasn't long before I realised something was wrong. [125] 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. That morning on Patong beach was very quiet. Lituya Bay, Alaska, July 9, 1958 Although the extreme western edge of the Ring of Fire extends into the Indian Ocean (the point where the earthquake struck), no warning system exists in that ocean. Sri Lanka reported that it had received no foreign government aid, while foreign individuals had been generous. Did Karl ever find his family in the impossible? The ground level was about 2 m above sea level, where there were many cottages and hotels. [18] A 2006 study estimated a magnitude of Mw 9.19.3; Hiroo Kanamori of the California Institute of Technology estimates that Mw9.2 is representative of the earthquake's size. [46], The tsunami, like all others, behaved differently in deep water than in shallow water. Funding came from other international agencies and from countries including Finland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. This is unusual since earthquakes of magnitude eight or more occur only about once per year on average.
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