A Brief History
• Subduction Zone• India and Burma Plates
• 10 years before tsunami, 40 events larger than magnitude 5.5 in the area but no tsunami
• Past 200 years several earthquakes greater than magnitude 8 generated moderate-sized tsunami
http://www.andaman.org/mapstsunami/tsunami.htm
December 26, 2004
• Magnitude 9.1 earthquake • Shook for as much as 8
minutes• Offset on the thrust
plane was approximately 15 meters with the sea floor rising several meters
• Subduction zone broke, extending north over about 1,200 km of its length
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/tectonicLG.jpg
Tsunami
• Waves rose to 10 or more meters above normal sea level (>700 km/hr)
• Wave receded into the trough before the next wave
http://img442.imageshack.us/i/tsunami2004kb2.jpg/Video
Aftermath, Immediately after
• Initial estimated death toll was 300,000
• An estimated 1,000,000 displaced
Aftermath, Months later
• Death toll adjusted to 169,752 with 127,294 missing due to tsunami• Many other deaths due to disease and damage to infrastructure
Cleanup Efforts
• Humanitarian effort from around the world raised over $7 billion
• Some small villages were never rebuilt, or were claimed completely by the sea
• Most coastal towns have recovered and show few signs of a major disaster only 5 years
http://csulb.edu/~mmercad2/cecs200/travel/assets/images/tsunami.jpg
Current Conditions• Wide spread destruction was never rebuilt in some areas• Large amounts of sediment have essentially destroyed farmland even 5 years after the event• Even with humanitarian aid, many of the 3rd world
countries were unable to rebuild and are still suffering Picture of Aceh
Indonesia before 2004 Tsunami (left) and Aceh Indonesia in November 2008 (right)
Actions Taken
• Education program for affected countries
• Increased awareness of the dangers of tsunamis
• Changes in technology and warning systems
• Recent Samoa tsunami is an example
http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/transformations/tsunami/image6_220.jpg
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