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2004 Tsunami
Thitirat Pongprajuc (Nuch)
SLCC Geography 1000, Spring 2017
Outline
Tsunami is a natural disaster that causes tremendous negative
impacts on humans and the environment.
This signature assignment will explore the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami:
1) what caused tsunami
2) what effects it had on humans and environment
3) how we can prepare to avoid such damages
What is TSUNAMI?
Tsunami is a Japanese name for Ocean waves.
http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/tsunami/basics/causes
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42029974/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/top-deadliest-earthquakes-history/#.WPvt4Ijys2w
2004 Tsunami
This picture shows the
tsunami that occurred on
December 26, 2004.
A massive earthquake
with a magnitude of 9.1
struck Indonesia off the
west coast of northern
Sumatra. In the nine hours
that followed, there were
14 aftershocks with
magnitudes between 5.7
Image source: pibindia.wordpress.com
and 7.3.
Image source: wcpltn.wordpress.com, accessed 2/17/17 Image source: epcupdates.org, accessed 2/17/17
How far did the
waves go?
The shifting of the earth's
plates in the Indian ocean
caused a rupture more than
600 kilometers (372.82 miles)
long, displacing the seafloor
above the rupture by about
10 meters (32.81 feet)
horizontally and several
meters vertically.
After the earthquake stuck,
the result of the tsunami
traveled across the Indian
Ocean, to Indonesia,
Thailand, Myanmar, India, Sri
Image source: https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/, accessed 2/17/17
Lanka, Maldives, and Somalia.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/world/tsunami-of-2004-fast-facts/, accessed 4/10/17
Results caused by
the 2004 Indian
Ocean Tsunami
The first tsunami wave
hit the coast at 7:58 AM
local time (00:58 GTM).
Waves of 10-15 meters (32-
49 feet) high first hit the
city, Sumatra in Banda Aceh
on the island of Sumatra,
Indonesia.
Banda Aceh was
reported to be hit the
worst. As shown in the
picture, the waves crushed
houses, infrastructures, and
Image source: coolgeography.co.uk, accessed 2/17/17 of course its people.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/11309215/How-the-Boxing-Day-tsunami-unfolded-hour-by-hour.html, accessed 4/12/17
Tsunami hit Thailand
The tsunami arrived at
the west coast of Thailand
approximately 112- 2 hours
after the earthquake in the
Indian ocean. More than
5,300 people were killed on
Boxing Day, a British holiday.
Many of them were tourists
who drowned in their hotel
rooms.
The waves that hit
Thailand swept over many
structures such as the hotel
swimming pool, which can
Image source: smh.com.au, accessed 2/17/17
be seen at the center of this
picture, in Phuket, Thailand.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/11309215/How-the-Boxing-Day-tsunami-unfolded-hour-by-hour.html, accessed 4/12/17
Tsunami hit
Sri Lanka
This picture shows
the wave hitting and
swallowing the
coastline of Kalutara,
Sri Lanka at 10:20
AM local time (4:50
GTM), less than 4
hours after the
waves hit Indonesia.
More than 30,000
people lost their
lives on the east
coast of Sri Lanka.
Image source: orgsites.com, accessed 2/17/17
The Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center (IOTIC) was formed including
members from 12 countries in response to the disaster which occurred on December
26, 2004. The organization created a protocol whose purpose is to provide early
warnings on potentially destructive tsunamis. The protocol will disseminate tsunami
advisory and warning messages to designated national and local authorities. Because
of the lack of tsunami specialization, IOTIC has been supported by other tsunami
professional detectors such as Japan.
When an earthquake strikes on the floor of the ocean, millions of tons of water
are suddenly pushed upwards or sinks dramatically downwards, generating a
powerful wave. In deep water, the wave travels at extremely high rates of speed. The
wave can be identified by a tsunami detector, which then transmits a warning via
satellite.
With the help of data received from transmitter buoys and prediction models, it
is possible, even just 15 minutes after an earthquake strikes to determine the path
and the strength of a tsunami. Warnings can be sent to the endangered regions in
enough time to make a difference.