2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Tsunami strikes Ao Nang, Thailand.
Date	December 26, 2004
Magnitude	9. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 3 Mw
Depth:	30 km (19 mi)
Epicenter location:	3.316° N 95.854° E
Type:	undersea (subduction) earthquake
Countries/ regions affected	Indonesia (mainly in Aceh) Sri Lanka India (mostly in Tamil Nadu) Thailand
Tsunami:	Yes
Casualties:	229,866[1][2] 2nd deadliest earthquake of all time

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea (subduction) earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. TalkMoment magnitude scale#Real world examples please.--> The moment magnitude scale In Geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another with one sliding underneath the other The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. See also Sultanate of Aceh Aceh (ʔaˈtɕɛh generally anglicized as ˈɑːtʃeɪ is a special territory ( daerah istimewa) of Indonesia Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj For man-made disasters see List of wars and disasters by death toll A death toll is the number of dead as a result of War, Violence, In Geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another with one sliding underneath the other An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth 's surface that is directly above the Hypocenter or focus the point where an Earthquake Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The earthquake triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing more than 225,000 people in eleven countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters (100 feet). A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history. For man-made disasters see List of wars and disasters by death toll A death toll is the number of dead as a result of War, Violence, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand were hardest hit. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj

With a magnitude of between 9. TalkMoment magnitude scale#Real world examples please.--> The moment magnitude scale 1 and 9. 3, it is the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. The following is a list of major Earthquakes. USGS list of significant earthquakes This is a list of significant earthquakes as listed by the Seismometers (from Greek Seism - "the shakes" - and Metro - "I measure" are instruments that measure and record motions of the ground including This earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8. 3 and 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 cm (0. 5 inches)^[3] and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent ^[4] The disaster is known by the scientific community as the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake,^[5] and is also known as the Asian Tsunami and the Boxing Day Tsunami. Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth The tsunami occurred exactly one year after the 2003 Bam earthquake and exactly two years before the 2006 Hengchun earthquake. Bam is a city in Kerman Province of Iran. The city is the center of Bam County. The 2006 Hengchun earthquake occurred on Tuesday December 26 2006 at 1225 UTC (2025 local time) with an Epicenter off the

The plight of the many affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response. This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting Tsunami in alphabetical order &ndash for detailed information The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst Natural disasters of modern times In all, the worldwide community donated more than $7 billion (2004 U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Events Timeline Countries affected: Indonesia Sri Lanka India more... Response Humanitarian See also Warning System Library damage 2005 Sumatra earthquake

v • d • e

Earthquake characteristics

Epicentre of the earthquake, just north of Simeulue Island

The earthquake was initially reported as moment magnitude 9. Although National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC in Hawaii eventually issued warnings of a This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting Tsunami in alphabetical order &ndash for detailed information Indonesia was seriously affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami created by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004, swamping As of 1635 GST 3 January 2005, Sri Lankan authorities report 30196 confirmed deaths after the island was hit by the Tsunami resulting from For related articles see:Category2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting Tsunami in alphabetical order &ndash for detailed information The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst Natural disasters of modern times The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System is a Tsunami warning system set up to provide warning to inhabitants of nations bordering the Indian Ocean of approaching Library damage resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake has been reported in six Asian countries The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005 located off the west coast of northern The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth 's surface that is directly above the Hypocenter or focus the point where an Earthquake Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. TalkMoment magnitude scale#Real world examples please.--> The moment magnitude scale 0. In February 2005 scientists revised the estimate of the magnitude to 9. 3. ^[6] Although the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has accepted these new numbers, the United States Geological Survey has so far not changed its estimate of 9. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC operated by NOAA in Ewa Beach Hawaii, USA, is one of two tsunami warning centers in the United States The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. 1. The most recent studies in 2006 have obtained a magnitude of M_w 9. 1 to 9. 3. Dr. Hiroo Kanamori of the California Institute of Technology believes that M_w = 9. Hiroo Kanamori (金森 博雄 Kanamori Hiroo; October 17, 1936 — is a Japanese Seismologist who has made fundamental contributions The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech) is a private, Coeducational research university located in Pasadena 2 is a good representative value for the size of this great earthquake. ^[7]

The hypocentre of the main earthquake was at 3.316° N 95.854° E, approximately 160 km (100 mi), in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue island, off the western coast of northern Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km (19 mi) below mean sea level (initially reported as 10 km). The hypocenter or hypocentre (literally 'below the center' from the Greek υπόκεντρον) refers to the site of an earthquake or to that of a nuclear Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface The earthquake itself (apart from the tsunami) was felt as far away as Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and the Maldives. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Singapore The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching

Indonesia lies between the Pacific Ring of Fire along the north-eastern islands adjacent to and including New Guinea and the Alpide belt along the south and west from Sumatra, Java, Bali, Flores, and Timor. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known The Alpide belt is a Mountain range which extends along the southern margin of Eurasia. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. Bali is an Indonesian Island located at, the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an Island arc with an estimated area of 14300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia Timor is an Island at the south end of the Malay Archipelago, north of the Timor Sea.

Great earthquakes such as the Sumatra-Andaman event, which are invariably associated with megathrust events in subduction zones, have seismic moments that can account for a significant fraction of the global earthquake moment across century-scale time periods. A megathrust earthquake occurs at Subduction zones (destructive plate boundaries where one Tectonic plate is forced under (subducts another In Geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another with one sliding underneath the other Seismic moment is a quantity used by Earthquake Seismologists to measure the size of an earthquake The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake was the largest earthquake since 1964, and the second largest since the Kamchatka earthquake of October 16, 1737. The Kamchatka earthquakes were a pair of Megathrust earthquakes occurring off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia on October 16, Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1737 ( MDCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Of all the seismic moment released by earthquakes in the 100 years from 1906 through 2005, roughly one-eighth was due to the Sumatra-Andaman event. Seismic moment is a quantity used by Earthquake Seismologists to measure the size of an earthquake This quake, together with the Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska, 1964) and the Great Chilean Earthquake (1960), account for almost half of the total moment. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake (Gran terremoto de Valdivia of 22 May, 1960 is the most powerful Earthquake ever The much smaller but still catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake is included in the diagram at right for perspective. M_w denotes the magnitude of an earthquake on the moment magnitude scale. TalkMoment magnitude scale#Real world examples please.--> The moment magnitude scale

Since 1900 the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (magnitude 9. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake (Gran terremoto de Valdivia of 22 May, 1960 is the most powerful Earthquake ever 5) and the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake in Prince William Sound (9. Prince William Sound is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U 2). The only other recorded earthquake of magnitude 9. 0 or greater was off Kamchatka, Russia, on November 4, 1952 (magnitude 9. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 0). ^[8] Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, but the death toll from these was significantly lower. A megathrust earthquake occurs at Subduction zones (destructive plate boundaries where one Tectonic plate is forced under (subducts another The worst of these caused only a few thousand deaths, primarily because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas and the much greater distances to more populated coasts. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume

Other very large megathrust earthquakes occurred in 1868 (Peru, Nazca Plate and South American Plate); 1827 (Colombia, Nazca Plate and South American Plate); 1812 (Venezuela, Caribbean Plate and South American Plate) and 1700 (Cascadia Earthquake, western U. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Nazca Plate, named after the Nazca region of southern Peru, is an oceanic Tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west The South American Plate is a Tectonic plate covering the Continent of South America and extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The Caribbean Plate is a mostly oceanic Tectonic plate underlying Central America and the Caribbean Sea off the north coast of South S. and Canada, Juan de Fuca Plate and North American Plate). Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Juan de Fuca Plate, named after the explorer, is a Tectonic plate arising from the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and subducting under the northerly The North American Plate is a Tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland and part of Siberia. These are all believed to have been of greater than magnitude 9, but no accurate measurements were available at the time.

Tectonic plates

The earthquake was unusually large in geographical extent. An estimated 1,600 km (994 mi) of faultline slipped about 15 m (50 ft) along the subduction zone where the India Plate slides under the Burma Plate. In Geology a fault, or fault line, is a planar rock fracture which shows evidence of relative movement In Geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another with one sliding underneath the other The India or Indian Plate is a Tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland from which it split off eventually The Burma Plate is a small Tectonic plate or microplate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over a period of several minutes. Seismographic and acoustic data indicate that the first phase involved a rupture about 400 km (250 mi) long and 100 km (60 mi) wide, located 30 km (19 mi) beneath the sea bed—the longest rupture ever known to have been caused by an earthquake. The rupture proceeded at a speed of about 2. 8 km/s (1. 7 mi/s) or 10,000 km/h (6,300 mph), beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over a period of about 100 seconds. See also Sultanate of Aceh Aceh (ʔaˈtɕɛh generally anglicized as ˈɑːtʃeɪ is a special territory ( daerah istimewa) of Indonesia A pause of about another 100 seconds took place before the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India However, the northern rupture occurred more slowly than in the south, at about 2. 1 km/s (1. 3 mi/s) or 7,600 km/h (4,700 mph), continuing north for another five minutes to a plate boundary where the fault changes from subduction to strike-slip (the two plates push past one another in opposite directions). In Geology a fault, or fault line, is a planar rock fracture which shows evidence of relative movement This reduced the speed of the water displacement and so reducing the size of the tsunami that hit the northern part of the Indian Ocean. ^[9]

The India Plate is part of the great Indo-Australian Plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is drifting north-east at an average of 6 cm/year (2 inches per year). The Indo-Australian Plate is a major Tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and surrounding Ocean, and extends northwest to include the The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. The India Plate meets the Burma Plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian Plate) at the Sunda Trench. The Burma Plate is a small Tectonic plate or microplate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. The Eurasian Plate is a Tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional Continents of Europe The Java Trench, also called Sunda Trench, located in the northeastern Indian Ocean, with a length of 2600 km and a maximum depth of 7725 meters (at 10°19'S 109°58'E At this point the India Plate subducts beneath the Burma Plate, which carries the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands and northern Sumatra. The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two The India Plate slips deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until the increasing temperature and pressure drive volatiles out of the subducting plate. These volatiles rise into the crust above and trigger melt which exits the earth's crust through volcanoes in the form of a volcanic arc. A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanic islands or Mountains formed by Plate tectonics as an oceanic Tectonic plate subducts under The volcanic activity that results as the Indo-Australian plate subducts the Eurasian plate has created the Sunda Arc. The Sunda Arc is a Volcanic arc that has produced the islands of Sumatra and Java and the Sunda Strait and the Lesser Sunda Islands

As well as the sideways movement between the plates, the sea bed is estimated to have risen by several metres, displacing an estimated 30 km³ (7 cu mi) of water and triggering devastating tsunami waves. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The waves did not originate from a point source, as was inaccurately depicted in some illustrations of their paths of travel, but rather radiated outwards along the entire 1,600 km (994 mi) length of the rupture (acting as a line source). A point source is a single identifiable localized source of something A line source is a source of air noise water contamination or electromagnetic radiation that emanates from a linear (one-dimensional geometry This greatly increased the geographical area over which the waves were observed, reaching as far as Mexico, Chile and the Arctic. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. The raising of the sea bed significantly reduced the capacity of the Indian Ocean, producing a permanent rise in the global sea level by an estimated 0. 1 mm. ^[10]

Aftershocks and other earthquakes

Locations of initial earthquake and all aftershocks measuring greater than 4. 0 from December 26, 2004–January 10, 2005. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The site of the original quake is marked by the large star in the lower right square of the grid. (Credit: USGS)

Numerous aftershocks were reported off the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands and the region of the original epicentre in the hours and days that followed. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. An aftershock is an Earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake (the main shock The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India The largest aftershock, which originated off the coast of the Sumatran island of Nias, registered a magnitude of 8. The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005 located off the west coast of northern Nias ( Indonesian: Pulau Nias, Nias language: Tanö Niha) is an Island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia 7,^[11] prompting debate among seismologists as to whether it should be classified as an aftershock of the December 2004 quake or as a "triggered earthquake" (which typically differs from an aftershock in that it is not located along the same fault line and may be as large or larger than the earthquake which triggered it). ^[12] This earthquake was so large that it produced its own aftershocks (some registering a magnitude of as great as 6. 1) and presently ranks as the 7th largest earthquake on record since 1900. Other aftershocks of up to magnitude 6. 6 continued to shake the region daily for up to three or four months. ^[13][14] As well as continuing aftershocks, the energy released by the original earthquake continued to make its presence felt well after the event. A week after the earthquake, its reverberations could still be measured, providing valuable scientific data about the Earth's interior.

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake came just three days after a magnitude 8. 1 earthquake in an uninhabited region west of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands, and north of Australia's Macquarie Island. This is a List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands. Sub-Antarctic islands are Islands in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica north of the Antarctic The Auckland Islands ( Motu Maha) ( form an archipelago of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands and include the following Auckland Island, Adams Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between Australia and Antarctica. This is unusual, since earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more occur only about once per year on average. ^[15] Some seismologists have speculated about a connection between these two earthquakes, saying that the former one might have been a catalyst to the Indian Ocean earthquake, as the two earthquakes happened on opposite sides of the Indo-Australian Plate. The Indo-Australian Plate is a major Tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and surrounding Ocean, and extends northwest to include the However, the U.S. Geological Survey sees no evidence of a causal relationship in this incident. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Coincidentally, the earthquake struck almost exactly one year (to the hour) after a 6. 6 magnitude earthquake killed an estimated 30,000 people in the city of Bam in Iran on December 26, 2003. Bam is a city in Kerman Province of Iran. The city is the center of Bam County. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[16]

Some scientists confirm that the December earthquake had activated Leuser Mountain, a volcano in Aceh province along the same range of peaks as Mount Talang, while the 2005 Sumatran earthquake had sparked activity in Lake Toba, an ancient crater in Sumatra. Mount Leuser (3381 m is the tallest mountain in the Indonesian province of Aceh. Mount Talang ( Gunung Talang) (2597 m is a Stratovolcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005 located off the west coast of northern Lake Toba ( Danau Toba) is a Lake and Supervolcano, 100 km long and 30 km wide and 505 m ^[17] Geologists say that the eruption of Mount Talang in April 2005 is connected to the December earthquake. Mount Talang ( Gunung Talang) (2597 m is a Stratovolcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia. ^[18]

Energy released by the earthquake

The energy released on the earth's surface only, M_Ewhich is the seismic potential for damage, by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami was estimated at 1. 1×10¹⁷ joules^[19] or 26. The joule (written in lower case ˈdʒuːl or /ˈdʒaʊl/ (symbol J) is the SI unit of Energy measuring heat, Electricity 3 megatons of TNT. This energy is equivalent to over 1502 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, but less than that of Tsar Bomba, the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Tsar Bomba (ru Царь-бомба literally " King Bomb" is the Western name for the RDS-220 hydrogen bomb (codenamed "Иван" (Ivan by its However, this is but a tiny fraction of the total work done M_W (and thus energy) by this quake, 4. In Physics, mechanical work is the amount of Energy transferred by a Force. 0×10²⁹ ergs (40 ZJ)^[20], the vast majority underground. An erg is the unit of Energy and Mechanical work in the centimetre-gram-second (CGS system of units symbol "erg" The joule (written in lower case ˈdʒuːl or /ˈdʒaʊl/ (symbol J) is the SI unit of Energy measuring heat, Electricity This equates to 4. 0×10²² J, over 363 thousand times more than its M_E. This is a truly enormous figure, equivalent to 9,560 gigatons of TNT equivalent (550 million times that of Hiroshima), or about 370 years of energy use in the United States at 2005 levels of 1. 08×10²⁰ J.

The only recorded earthquakes with a larger M_W were the 1960 Chilean and 1964 Alaskan quakes, with 2. 5×10³⁰ ergs (250 ZJ) and 7. 5×10²⁹ ergs (75 ZJ) respectively. ^[21] Please see USGS:Measuring the size of earthquakes.

The earthquake generated seismic oscillation of the Earth's surface of up to 20–30 cm (8–12 in), equivalent to the effect of the tidal forces caused by the Sun and Moon. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood The shock waves of the earthquake were felt across the planet; as far away as the U. S. state of Oklahoma, where vertical movements of 3 mm (0. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. 12 in) were recorded.

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 1 cm in vertical amplitude everywhere on Earth. Rayleigh waves, also known as the Rayleigh-Lamb Wave or "ground roll" are a type of Surface wave. The record section plot below displays vertical displacements of the Earth's surface recorded by seismometers from the IRIS/USGS Global Seismographic Network plotted with respect to time (since the earthquake initiation) on the horizontal axis, and vertical displacements of the Earth on the vertical axis (note the 1 cm scale bar at the bottom for scale). The seismograms are arranged vertically by distance from the epicenter in degrees. The earliest, lower amplitude, signal is that of the compressional (P) wave, which takes about 22 minutes to reach the other side of the planet (the antipode; in this case near Ecuador). The largest amplitude signals are seismic surface waves that reach the antipode after about 100 minutes. The surface waves can be clearly seen to reinforce near the antipode (with the closest seismic stations in Ecuador), and to subsequently encircle the planet to return to the epicentral region after about 200 minutes. A major aftershock (magnitude 7. 1) can be seen at the closest stations starting just after the 200 minute mark. This aftershock would be considered a major earthquake under ordinary circumstances, but is dwarfed by the mainshock.

Vertical-component ground motions recorded by the IRIS/USGS Global Seismographic Network

The shift of mass and the massive release of energy very slightly altered the Earth's rotation. The exact amount is not yet known, but theoretical models suggest the earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2. 68 microseconds, due to a decrease in the oblateness of the Earth. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different Times this page lists times between 10&minus6 seconds and 10&minus5 seconds (1 micro An oblate Spheroid is a rotationally symmetric Ellipsoid having a polar axis shorter than the diameter of the equatorial circle whose plane ^[22] It also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 2. 5 cm (1 in) in the direction of 145° east longitude,^[23] or perhaps by up to 5 or 6 cm (2. Longitude (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd or ˈlɒŋgɪˌtjuːd symbolized by the Greek character Lambda (λ is the east-west Geographic coordinate measurement 0 to 2. 4 in). ^[24] However, because of tidal effects of the Moon, the length of a day increases at an average of 15 µs per year, so any rotational change due to the earthquake will be lost quickly. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different Times this page lists times between 10&minus6 seconds and 10&minus5 seconds (1 micro Similarly, the natural Chandler wobble of the Earth, which in some cases can be up to 15 m (50 ft), will eventually offset the minor wobble produced by the earthquake. The Chandler wobble is a small motion in the Earth 's axis of rotation relative to the Earth's surface which was discovered by American Astronomer The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International

More spectacularly, there was 10 m (33 ft) movement laterally and 4–5 m (13–16 ft) vertically along the fault line. Early speculation was that some of the smaller islands south-west of Sumatra, which is on the Burma Plate (the southern regions are on the Sunda Plate), might have moved south-west by up to 36 m (118 ft), but more accurate data released more than a month after the earthquake found the movement to be about 20 cm (7. The Burma Plate is a small Tectonic plate or microplate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. The Sunda Plate is a Tectonic plate located in southeast Asia and commonly considered a part of the Eurasian Plate. 9 in). ^[25] Since movement was vertical as well as lateral, some coastal areas may have been moved to below sea level. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands appear to have shifted south-west by around 1. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a Union territory of India. Informally the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI 25 m (4. 1 ft) and to have sunk by 1 m (3. 28 ft). ^[26]

In February 2005, the Royal Navy vessel HMS Scott surveyed the seabed around the earthquake zone, which varies in depth between 1,000 m and 5,000 m (3,300 ft and 16,500 ft). The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Affiliations 42 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers The survey, conducted using a high-resolution, multi-beam sonar system, revealed that the earthquake had made a huge impact on the topography of the seabed. Sonar (which started as an Acronym for sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses Sound propagation (usually underwater to navigate 1,500-meter (5,000 ft) high thrust ridges created by previous geologic activity along the fault had collapsed, generating landslides several kilometers wide. A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement such as rock falls deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows which can occur One such landslide consisted of a single block of rock some 100 m high and 2 km long (300 ft by 1. 25 mi). The momentum of the water displaced by tectonic uplift had also dragged massive slabs of rock, each weighing millions of tons, as far as 10 km (7 mi) across the seabed. An oceanic trench several kilometres wide was exposed in the earthquake zone. The oceanic trenches are hemispheric-scale long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor ^[27]

The TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason 1 satellites happened to pass over the tsunami as it was crossing the ocean. Launched in 1992 TOPEX/Poseidon was a joint satellite mission between NASA, the U Jason-1 is a Satellite oceanography mission to monitor global Ocean circulation, study the ties between the Ocean and the Atmosphere, improve ^[28] These satellites carry radars that measure precisely the height of the water surface; anomalies of the order of 50 cm (20 in) were measured. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Measurements from these satellites may prove invaluable for the understanding of the earthquake and tsunami. ^[29] Unlike data from tide gauges installed on shores, measurements obtained in the middle of the ocean can be used for computing the parameters of the source earthquake without having to compensate for the complex ways in which close proximity to the coast changes the size and shape of a wave. A tide gauge is a device for measuring sea level and detecting tsunamis

Tsunami characteristics

Animation of the tsunami caused by the earthquake showing how the tsunami radiated from the entire length of the 1,600 km (994 mi) rupture. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States

The sudden vertical rise of the seabed by several metres during the earthquake displaced massive volumes of water, resulting in a tsunami that struck the coasts of the Indian Ocean. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when A tsunami which causes damage far away from its source is sometimes called a "teletsunami", and is much more likely to be produced by vertical motion of the seabed than by horizontal motion. ^[30]

The tsunami, like all others, behaved very differently in deep water than in shallow water. In deep ocean water, tsunami waves form only a small hump, barely noticeable and harmless, which generally travels at a very high speed of 500 to 1,000 km/h (310 to 620 mph); in shallow water near coastlines, a tsunami slows down to only tens of kilometres an hour but in doing so forms large destructive waves. Scientists investigating the damage in Aceh found evidence that the wave reached a height of 24 m when coming ashore along large stretches of the coastline, rising to 30 m (100 ft) in some areas when travelling inland. ^[31]

Radar satellites recorded the heights of tsunami waves in deep water: at two hours after the earthquake, the maximum height was 60 cm (2 ft). Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships These are the first such observations ever made. However, these observations could not have been used to provide a warning, because the satellites were not intended for that purpose and the data took hours to analyse. ^[32][33]

According to Tad Murty, vice-president of the Tsunami Society, the total energy of the tsunami waves was equivalent to about five megatons of TNT (20 petajoules). Tad S Murty (or Murthy) is an Indian-Canadian oceanographer and expert on Tsunamis He is the former president of the Tsunami Society The Tsunami Society is a research organization founded in 1982 that studies Tsunamis and seeks to supply information about them to the public Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3 In Physics and Mathematics, peta- (symbol P) is a prefix in the SI ( System of units) denoting 1015 This is more than twice the total explosive energy used during all of World War II (including the two atomic bombs), but still a couple of orders of magnitude less than the energy released in the earthquake itself. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. An order of magnitude is the class of scale or magnitude of any amount where each class contains values of a fixed ratio to the class preceding it In many places the waves reached as far as 2 km (1. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 24 mi) inland. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States ^[34]

Because the 1,600 km (994 mi) fault affected by the earthquake was in a nearly north-south orientation, the greatest strength of the tsunami waves was in an east-west direction. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Bangladesh, which lies at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, had very few casualties despite being a low-lying country relatively near the epicenter. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It also benefited from the fact that the earthquake proceeded more slowly in the northern rupture zone, greatly reducing the energy of the water displacements in that region.

Coasts that have a landmass between them and the tsunami's location of origin are usually safe; however, tsunami waves can sometimes diffract around such landmasses. Diffraction is normally taken to refer to various phenomena which occur when a wave encounters an obstacle Thus, the Indian state of Kerala was hit by the tsunami despite being on the western coast of India, and the western coast of Sri Lanka also suffered substantial impacts. Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Also distance alone is no guarantee of safety; Somalia was hit harder than Bangladesh despite being much farther away. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known

Because of the distances involved, the tsunami took anywhere from fifteen minutes to seven hours (for Somalia) to reach the various coastlines. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known ^[35][36] The northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra were hit very quickly, while Sri Lanka and the east coast of India were hit roughly 90 minutes to two hours later. Thailand was also struck about two hours later despite being closer to the epicentre, because the tsunami travelled more slowly in the shallow Andaman Sea off its western coast. The Andaman Sea (မုတ္တမ moʊʔtəma̰ is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar, west of Thailand and east

The tsunami was noticed as far as Struisbaai in South Africa, some 8,500 km (5,300 mi) away, where a 1. Struisbaai is a coastal settlement in South Africa's Western Cape province The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa 5 m (5 ft) high tide surged on shore about 16 hours after the earthquake. It took a relatively long time to reach this spot at the southernmost point of Africa, probably because of the broad continental shelf off South Africa and because the tsunami would have followed the South African coast from east to west. The tsunami also reached Antarctica, where tidal gauges at Japan's Showa Base recorded oscillations of up to a metre, with disturbances lasting a couple of days. ^[37]

Some of the tsunami's energy escaped into the Pacific Ocean, where it produced small but measurable tsunamis along the western coasts of North and South America, typically around 20 to 40 cm (7. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions 9 to 15. 7 in). ^[38] At Manzanillo, Mexico, a 2. Manzanillo is a city as well as its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Colima. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. 6 m (8. 5 ft) crest-to-trough tsunami was measured. As well, the tsunami was large enough to be detected in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page This puzzled many scientists, as the tsunamis measured in some parts of South America were larger than those measured in some parts of the Indian Ocean. It has been theorised that the tsunamis were focused and directed at long ranges by the mid-ocean ridges which run along the margins of the continental plates. A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an underwater Mountain range typically having a valley known as a Rift running along its axis formed by ^[39]

Signs and warnings

Despite a lag of up to several hours between the earthquake and the impact of the tsunami, nearly all of the victims were taken completely by surprise. There were no tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean to detect tsunamis or to warn the general populace living around the ocean. A tsunami warning system is a system to detect Tsunamis and issue warnings to prevent loss of life and property Tsunami detection is not easy because while a tsunami is in deep water it has little height and a network of sensors is needed to detect it. Setting up the communications infrastructure to issue timely warnings is an even bigger problem, particularly in a relatively poor part of the world.

Tsunamis are much more frequent in the Pacific Ocean because of earthquakes in the "Ring of Fire", and an effective tsunami warning system has long been in place there. Although the extreme western edge of the Ring of Fire extends into the Indian Ocean (the point where this earthquake struck), no warning system exists in that ocean. Tsunamis there are relatively rare despite earthquakes being relatively frequent in Indonesia. The last major tsunami was caused by the Krakatoa eruption of 1883. Krakatoa ( Indonesian: Krakatau) also spelled Krakatao or Krakatowa, is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait It should be noted that not every earthquake produces large tsunamis; on March 28, 2005, a magnitude 8. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 7 earthquake hit roughly the same area of the Indian Ocean but did not result in a major tsunami.

In the aftermath of the disaster, there is now an awareness of the need for a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean. The United Nations started working on an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System and by 2005 had the initial steps in place. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System is a Tsunami warning system set up to provide warning to inhabitants of nations bordering the Indian Ocean of approaching Some have even proposed creating a unified global tsunami warning system, to include the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting

Maximum recession of tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach, Thailand, before the third, and strongest, tsunami wave (sea visible in the right corner, the beach is at the extreme left), 10:25 a. Kata Noi is a beach on the southwestern side of the island of Phuket in Thailand. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj m. local time.

The first warning sign of a possible tsunami is the earthquake itself. However, tsunami can strike thousands of kilometres away where the earthquake is only felt weakly or not at all. Also, in the minutes preceding a tsunami strike, the sea often recedes temporarily from the coast. Around the Indian Ocean, this rare sight reportedly induced people, especially children, to visit the coast to investigate and collect stranded fish on as much as 2. 5 km (1. 6 mi) of exposed beach, with fatal results. ^[40]

One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, very close to the epicentre. Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. Island folklore recounted an earthquake and tsunami in 1907, and the islanders fled to inland hills after the initial shaking yet before the tsunami struck. ^[41] On Maikhao beach in northern Phuket, Thailand, a 10-year-old British tourist named Tilly Smith had studied tsunami in geography class at school and recognised the warning signs of the receding ocean and frothing bubbles. Phuket (ภูเก็ต pʰuːkɛt formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang, or Junk Ceylon in Western sources a distortion of the Malay Tanjung The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Tilly Smith is a British girl who at age 10 was credited with saving nearly a hundred foreign tourists at Maikhao Beach ( Thailand) by raising the alarm minutes before She and her parents warned others on the beach, which was evacuated safely. ^[42] John Chroston, a biology teacher from Scotland, also recognised the signs at Kamala Bay north of Phuket, taking a busload of vacationers and locals to safety on higher ground. John Chroston, a biology teacher at Falkirk High School, Scotland, was one of the few tourists present during the Indian Ocean earthquake able to recognise

Anthropologists had initially expected the aboriginal population of the Andaman Islands to be badly affected by the tsunami and even feared the endangered Onge tribe could have been wiped out. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of The Andamanese is a collective term to describe the peoples who are the aboriginal inhabitants of the Andaman Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. The Onge (also Önge) are one of the Andamanese Indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal. Of the six native tribes only the Nicobarese, who had converted to Christianity and taken up agriculture in place of their previous hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and mainland settlers had suffered significant losses. A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting Onge tribespeople explained that the sea and land always fought over boundaries. First the spirits became angry and shook the trees and then when they saw changes in the sea and clouds they knew “the sea would enter the jungle and mix with the land until they decided on a new boundary”. The aboriginal tribes evacuated and suffered few or no losses. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical

Retreat and rise cycle

The tsunami was a succession of several waves, occurring in retreat and rise cycles with a period of over 30 minutes between each peak. The third wave was the most powerful and reached highest, occurring about an hour and a half after the first wave. Smaller tsunamis continued to occur for the rest of the day.

Second tsunami wave starting to retreat, Kata Noi Beach, Thailand, 10:17 a. Kata Noi is a beach on the southwestern side of the island of Phuket in Thailand. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj m.

Receding waters after the second tsunami, 10:20 a. m.

3rd tsunami wave, 11:00 a. m.

4th tsunami wave, 11:22 a. m.

Damage and casualties

Chennai's Marina beach after the Tsunami

The U.S. Geological Survey initially recorded the toll as 283,100 killed, 14,100 missing, and 1,126,900 people displaced. The Marina Beach is a beach situated along a 12 km shoreline in the city of Chennai, India along the Bay of Bengal, part of the Indian Ocean The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. However, more recent analysis compiled by the United Nations lists a total of 229,866 people lost, including 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security ^[43] The figure excludes 400 to 600 people who are believed to have perished in Myanmar, which is more than that government's official figure of only 61 dead. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. ^[44] If the higher Myanmar figures are reliable, the death toll would include at least 230,000 people. Measured in lives lost, this is one of the ten worst earthquakes in recorded history, as well as the single worst tsunami in history. The following is a list of major Earthquakes. USGS list of significant earthquakes This is a list of significant earthquakes as listed by the

The tsunami caused serious damage and deaths as far as the east coast of Africa, with the furthest recorded death due to the tsunami occurring at Rooi Els in South Africa, 8,000 km (4,971 mi) away from the epicentre. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States In total, eight people in South Africa died due to abnormally high sea levels and waves.

Relief agencies report that one-third of the dead appear to be children. This is a result of the high proportion of children in the populations of many of the affected regions and because children were the least able to resist being overcome by the surging waters. Oxfam went on to report that as many as four times more women than men were killed in some regions because they were waiting on the beach for the fishermen to return and looking after their children in the houses. Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 organizations working with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice ^[45]

In addition to the large number of local residents, up to 9,000 foreign tourists (mostly Europeans) enjoying the peak holiday travel season were among the dead or missing, especially people from the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, The European nation hardest hit may have been Sweden, whose death toll was 543. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. ^[46]

States of emergency were declared in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Maldives. A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching The United Nations estimated at the outset that the relief operation (which is presently still underway) would be the costliest in human history. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated that reconstruction would probably take between five and ten years. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Kofi Atta Annan, GCMG (born 8 April 1938 is a Ghanaian Diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations Governments and non-governmental organisations fear the final death toll may double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response. This is a list of wars and human-made disasters by death toll. The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst Natural disasters of modern times

For purposes of establishing timelines of local events, the time zones of affected areas are: UTC+3: (Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia, Tanzania); UTC+4: (Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles); UTC+5: (Maldives); UTC+5:30: (India); UTC+6: (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka); UTC+6:30: (Cocos Islands, Myanmar); UTC+7: (Indonesia (western), Thailand); UTC+8: (Malaysia, Singapore). Since the earthquake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC, add the above offsets to find the local time of the earthquake.

Countries affected

Countries most affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting Tsunami in alphabetical order &ndash for detailed information

Main article: Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

The earthquake and resulting tsunami affected many countries in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Seychelles and others. This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting Tsunami in alphabetical order &ndash for detailed information The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Seychelles (seɪˈʃɛl or /seɪˈʃɛlz/ in English and seʃɛl in French) officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles Creole Many other countries, especially Australia and those in Europe, had large numbers of citizens traveling in the region on holiday. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Both Sweden and Germany lost over 500 citizens each in the disaster. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Event in historical context

This earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake recorded since 1900, and the confirmed death toll is just under 200,000 due to the ensuing tsunami. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer This is a list of wars and human-made disasters by death toll. The deadliest earthquakes since 1900 were the Tangshan, China earthquake of 1976, in which at least 255,000 were killed; the earthquake of 1927 in Xining, Qinghai, China (200,000); the Great Kanto earthquake which struck Tokyo in 1923 (143,000); and the Gansu, China, earthquake of 1920 (200,000). The Tangshan earthquake ( also known as the Great Tangshan earthquake or GTE, was a natural disaster that occurred on July 28, 1976. Xining ( Simplified Chinese: 西宁 Traditional Chinese: 西寧 Tibetan: ཟི་ནིང་ Pinyin: Xīníng Wylie: Zi-ning (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 1158 on the morning of September 1, 1923. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. ( is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. The deadliest known earthquake in history occurred in 1556 in Shaanxi, China, with an estimated death toll of 830,000, though figures from this time period may not be reliable. ^[47]

The 2004 tsunami is the deadliest in recorded history. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Prior to 2004, the deadliest recorded tsunami in the Pacific Ocean was in 1782, when 40,000 people were killed by a tsunami in the South China Sea. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The South China Sea is a Marginal sea south of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the ^[48] The tsunami created by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa is thought to have resulted in 36,000 deaths. Krakatoa ( Indonesian: Krakatau) also spelled Krakatao or Krakatowa, is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait The most deadly tsunami between 1900 and 2004 occurred in 1908 in Messina, Italy, on the Mediterranean Sea, where the earthquake and tsunami killed 70,000. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The most deadly tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean resulted from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which, combined with the toll from the actual earthquake and resulting fires, killed over 100,000. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, took place on November 1 1755 at around 940 in the morning

The 2004 earthquake and tsunami combined have been described as the deadliest natural disaster since either the 1976 Tangshan earthquake or the 1970 Bhola cyclone, or could conceivably exceed both of these. A natural disaster is the consequence of a Natural hazard (eg The Tangshan earthquake ( also known as the Great Tangshan earthquake or GTE, was a natural disaster that occurred on July 28, 1976. The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating Tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India 's West Bengal on Because of uncertainty over death tolls, it might never be known for sure which of these natural disasters was the deadliest.

See also: Library damage resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Human component in magnitude of damage

A town near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruin on January 2, 2005. Library damage resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake has been reported in six Asian countries Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This picture was taken by a United States military helicopter crew from the USS Abraham Lincoln that was conducting humanitarian operations.

Indonesians gather under an approaching helicopter to receive food and supplies.

The human destruction of coral reefs played a significant role in the destruction caused by the tsunami. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water Many countries across Asia, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have put forth efforts to destroy the coral surrounding their beaches, and instead make way for shrimp farms and other economic choices. On the Surin Island chain of Thailand's coast, many people were saved as the tsunami rushed against the coral reefs protecting the islands. However, there were many fewer people on these islands, which helps explain the lower death toll. Many reefs areas around the Indian Ocean have been exploded with dynamite because they are considered impediments to shipping, an important part of the South Asian economy. ^[49] Similarly, the removal of coastal mangrove trees is believed to have intensified the effect of the tsunami in some locations. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. These trees, which lined the coast but were removed to make way for coastal residences, might have blocked the force of the tsunami. Another factor is the removal of coastal sand dunes. In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. ^[49]

Humanitarian, economic and environmental impact

Main article: Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

A great deal of humanitarian aid was needed because of widespread damage of the infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and economic damage. The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst Natural disasters of modern times Humanitarian aid (also called succour) is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes typically in response to humanitarian crises Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids Epidemics were of special concern due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. In Epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume A tropical climate is a kind of Climate typical in the Tropics. The main concern of humanitarian and government agencies was to provide sanitation facilities and fresh drinking water to contain the spread of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis A and B. Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium Diphtheria ( Greek διφθερα ( diphthera)—“pair of leather scrolls" is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore Dysentery (formerly known as flux or the bloody flux) is an infection of the digestive system that results in severe Diarrhea containing mucus and blood Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, bilious fever, Yellow Jack or commonly just typhoid, is an illness caused by the Bacterium Hepatitis A, (formerly known as infectious hepatitis) is an acute Infectious disease of the Liver caused by Hepatitis A virus which is

There was also a great concern that the death toll could increase as disease and hunger spread. However, because of the initial quick response, this was minimized. ^[50]

In the days following the tsunami, significant effort was spent in burying bodies hurriedly for fear of disease. Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground However, the public health risks may have been exaggerated, and therefore this may not have been the best way to allocate resources. Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society organisations The World Food Programme provided food aid to more than 1. 3 million people affected by the tsunami. ^[51]

Further information: Health risks from dead bodies

Nations all over the world provided over US$7 billion in aid for damaged regions, with the governments of Australia pledging US$819. After Disasters with extensive loss of life due to trauma &mdashearthquakes storms human conflict etc This article describes the federal government of Australia See Australian governments for other jurisdictions 9 million (including a US$760. 6-million aid package for Indonesia), Germany offering US$660 million, Japan offering US$500 million, Canada offering US$343 million, Norway and The Netherlands offering both US$183 million, the United States offering US$35 million initially (increased to US$350 million), and the World Bank offering US$250 million. Politics of Germany takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Federal Chancellor Japan no longer officially has the traditional Federal system, and its 47 prefectures, and prefectural and municipal assembly members are popularly elected for The Canadian Government, formally Her Majesty's Government in Canada, is the Federal government of Canada. Politics of Norway takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e Also Italy offered US$ 95 million, increased later to US$ 113 million of which US$ 42 million where donated by the population using the SMS system^[52] According to USAID, the US has pledged additional funds in long-term U. The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the United States federal government organization responsible for most non- military S. support to help the tsunami victims rebuild their lives. On February 9, 2005, President Bush asked Congress to increase the U. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. commitment to a total of $950 million. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Officials estimated that billions of dollars would be needed. Bush also asked his father, former President George H. W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton to lead a U. S. effort to provide private aid to the tsunami victims. ^[53]

In mid-March the Asian Development Bank reported that over US$4 billion in aid promised by governments was behind schedule. Asian Development Bank (ADB is a regional development bank established in 1966 to promote economic and social development in Asian and Pacific countries through loans and technical Sri Lanka reported that it had received no foreign government aid, while foreign individuals had been generous. ^[54] Lots of charities were given considerable donations from the public. For example, in the UK the public donated roughly £330,000,000 sterling (nearly US$600,000,000). This considerably outweighed the donation by the government and came to an average of about £5. 50 (US$10) donated by every citizen.

In August 2006, fifteen local aid staff working on post-tsunami rebuilding were found executed in northeast Sri Lanka after heavy fighting, the main umbrella body for aid agencies in the country said. There had been reports and rumors that the local aid workers had been killed.

Economic impact

The impact on coastal fishing communities and fisherfolk, some of the poorest people in the region, has been devastating with high losses of income earners as well as boats and fishing gear. For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing. ^[55] In Sri Lanka artisanal fishery, where the use of fish baskets, fishing traps, and spears are commonly used, is an important source of fish for local markets; industrial fishery is the major economic activity, providing direct employment to about 250,000 people. In recent years the fishery industry has emerged as a dynamic export-oriented sector, generating substantial foreign exchange earnings. Preliminary estimates indicate that 66% of the fishing fleet and industrial infrastructure in coastal regions have been destroyed by the wave surges, which will have adverse economic effects both at local and national levels. ^[56]

But some economists believe that damage to the affected national economies will be minor because losses in the tourism and fishing industries are a relatively small percentage of the GDP. However, others caution that damage to infrastructure is an overriding factor. In some areas drinking water supplies and farm fields may have been contaminated for years by salt water from the ocean. ^[57]

Both the earthquake and the tsunami may have affected shipping in the Malacca Straits by changing the depth of the seabed and by disturbing navigational buoys and old shipwrecks. The Strait of Malacca is a narrow 805 km (500 mile stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra Compiling new navigational charts may take months or years. ^[58]

Countries in the region appealed to tourists to return, pointing out that most tourist infrastructure is undamaged. However, tourists were reluctant to do so for psychological reasons. Even resorts on the Pacific coast of Thailand, which were completely untouched, were hit by cancellations.

Environmental impact

Tsunami inundation, Khao Lak, North of Phuket, Thailand ASTER Images and SRTM Elevation Model. Khao Lak (เขาหลัก is a Seaside resort in Thailand, located 80 km north of Phuket International Airport in Takua Pa district, Phuket (ภูเก็ต pʰuːkɛt formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang, or Junk Ceylon in Western sources a distortion of the Malay Tanjung

Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake has caused an enormous environmental impact that will affect the region for many years to come. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer It has been reported that severe damage has been inflicted on ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests, coastal wetlands, vegetation, sand dunes and rock formations, animal and plant biodiversity and groundwater (although Deepak Chopra does not think any animals died at all). An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. In Geology, rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of Minerals and/or Mineraloids The Earth's outer solid layer the ‘ Lithosphere Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations In addition, the spread of solid and liquid waste and industrial chemicals, water pollution and the destruction of sewage collectors and treatment plants threaten the environment even further, in untold ways. Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other The environmental impact will take a long time and significant resources to assess. ^[59]

According to specialists, the main effect is being caused by poisoning of the freshwater supplies and the soil by saltwater infiltration and deposit of a salt layer over arable land. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3 Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants It has been reported that in the Maldives, 16 to 17 coral reef atolls that were overcome by sea waves are totally without fresh water and could be rendered uninhabitable for decades. Uncountable wells that served communities were invaded by sea, sand and earth; and aquifers were invaded through porous rock. An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for agriculture. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. Thousands of rice, mango and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely and will take years to recover. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is working with governments of the region in order to determine the severity of the ecological impact and how to address it. The UN Environment Programme (or UNEP) coordinates United Nations environmental activities assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies ^[60] UNEP has decided to earmark a US$1,000,000 emergency fund and to establish a Task Force to respond to requests for technical assistance from countries affected by the tsunami. ^[61] In response to a request from the Maldivian Government, the Australian Government sent ecological experts to help restore marine environments and coral reefs — the lifeblood of Maldivian tourism. The politics of the Maldives take place in the framework of a presidential Republic, whereby the President is the Head of government. Much of the ecological expertise has been rendered from work with the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia's northeastern waters. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest Coral reef system in the world composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2600 kilometres (1600 mi

Other effects

A note signed by former United States Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, First Lady Laura Bush, and President George W. Bush expressing their condolences during a visit to the embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C., Monday, January 3, 2005. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Laura Lane Welch Bush (born November 4 1946 is the wife of the forty-third and current President of the United States, George W George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The President wrote, “We pray for the victims and families of this epic disaster. And the American government and American people are dedicated to helping you recover. ”

Many health professionals and aid workers have reported widespread psychological trauma associated with the tsunami. Traditional beliefs in many of the affected regions state that a relative of the family must bury the body of the dead, and in many cases, no body remained to be buried.

The hardest hit area, Aceh, is considered to be a religiously conservative Islamic society and has had no tourism nor any Western presence in recent years due to armed conflict between the Indonesian military and Acehnese separatists. See also Sultanate of Aceh Aceh (ʔaˈtɕɛh generally anglicized as ˈɑːtʃeɪ is a special territory ( daerah istimewa) of Indonesia For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The insurgency in Aceh was waged by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM in order to obtain indepence from Indonesia between 1976 and 2005. The Armed Forces of Indonesia ( Indonesian: Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI, formerly Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia, best known by The Free Aceh Movement ( Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or simply GAM) also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front ( ASNLF Some believe that the tsunami was divine punishment for lay Muslims shirking their daily prayers and/or following a materialistic lifestyle. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Others have said that Allah was angry that there were Muslims killing other Muslims in an ongoing conflict. Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' ^[62] Women in Aceh required a special approach from foreign aid agencies, and continue to have unique needs.

In what may be the most significant positive result of the tsunami, the widespread devastation led the main rebel group GAM to declare a cease-fire on December 28, 2004, followed by the Indonesian government, and the two groups resumed long-stalled peace talks, which resulted in a peace agreement signed August 15, 2005. The Free Aceh Movement ( Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or simply GAM) also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front ( ASNLF Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The agreement explicitly cites the tsunami as a justification. ^[63]

The extensive international media coverage of the tsunami, and the role of mass media and journalists in reconstruction, were discussed by editors of newspapers and broadcast media in tsunami-affected areas, in special video-conferences set up by the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre. The Asia Pacific Journalism Centre is an Australian non-government organisation which specialises in providing seminars workshops training and international exchanges for journalists ^[64]

Another result of the tsunami, respective toward Indian culture, was the water that washed away centuries of sand from some of the ruins of a 1,200-year-old lost city at Mahabalipuram on the south coast of India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Mahabalipuram (மகாபலிபுரம் also known as Mamallapuram (மாமல்லபுரம் The site, containing such notable structures as a half-buried granite lion near a 7th century Mahablipuram temple and a relic depicting an elephant, is part of what archaeologists believe to be an ancient port city that was swallowed by the sea hundreds of years ago. ^[65][66]

The tsunami had severe humanitarian and political impact in Sweden. With no single incident having killed more Swedish people since the battle of Poltava in 1709 (more than the loss of MS Estonia in 1994), the cabinet of Göran Persson was heavily criticized for lack of action. The Battle of Poltava (or Pultowa on 28 June 1709 ( 8 July, N Construction The ship was originally ordered from Meyer Werft by a Norwegian shipping company led by Parley Augustsen with intended traffic between Göran Persson served as Prime Minister of Sweden between March 22, 1996 and October 6, 2006. The event was examined by an independent inquiry, Katastrofkommissionen.

See also

• Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
• Timeline of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
• Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
• List of Indonesian earthquakes
• List of earthquakes
• 2005 Sumatra earthquake, a heavy aftershock of the Indian Ocean earthquake. The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst Natural disasters of modern times Although National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC in Hawaii eventually issued warnings of a The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System is a Tsunami warning system set up to provide warning to inhabitants of nations bordering the Indian Ocean of approaching The following is a list of major Earthquakes. USGS list of significant earthquakes This is a list of significant earthquakes as listed by the The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005 located off the west coast of northern An aftershock is an Earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake (the main shock
• Tsunami Evaluation Coalition
• May 2006 Java earthquake
• July 2006 Java earthquake
• National Geographic Seconds From Disaster episodes

Notes and references

External links

News collections

• BBC News - In-Depth Report: Tsunami Disaster
• Channel News Asia - One Year On, Memorial & Updates to the Asian Tsunami Disaster
• Tsunami tragedy Report Index in The Hindu including the post Tsunami relief work
• CNN - Tsunami, One Year After
• Guardian Unlimited - Special Report: Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster
• New York Times
• Sydney Morning Herald - Waves of Devastation
• The Local - the Indian Ocean tsunami and its effect on Sweden
• [2] Effects and relief work on the Nicobar Islands. The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
• A Mission in Asia: A visit to tsunami-hit coastal areas Indian Ocean

Photos and video

• Yahoo! Slideshows — Asian Tsunami Disaster
• Satellite images of tsunami-affected areas (National University of Singapore)
• Tsunamis.com - 2004 Asian Tsunami Pictures
• "and Gaia Shuddered" a music video essay
• "After the Tsunami" Danish writer and photographer Thorsten Overgaard's documentary on the relief work after the December 26, 2004 tsunami.

Scientific and educational

• The December 26, 2004, Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami: Field Perspectives on the Impacts to the Peoples, Cultures, Politics, and Economies of One of the World's Most Vibrant Regions, Speaker: Tom Casadevall, September 26, 2006. Sponsored by Center for Global Studiesand Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• Special Event Page, Amateur Seismic Centre, India
• A series of films aimed at K12 age group explaining how earthquakes occur and how the tsunami was generated - Includes footage of school seismograph recording the earthquake
• A Comprehensive Inquiry Based Classroom Exercise for High School Students using the actual seismograms
• Seismograms for this earthquake via REV, the Rapid Earthquake Viewer
• Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake - IRIS Special Report
• View the epicentre in Google Earth
• Iwan, W. D. , editor, 2006, Summary report of the Great Sumatra Earthquakes and Indian Ocean tsunamis of 26 December 2004 and 28 March 2005: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, EERI Publication #2006-06, 11 chapters, 100 page summary, plus CD-ROM with complete text and supplementary photographs, EERI Report 2006-06. [www. eeri. org] ISBN 1-932884-19-X

Industry

• Envirtech Tsunami Warning System, based on real time seafloor observatories measuring seismic waves and sea levels
• Integrated Tsunami Watcher Service