Dr Weerawit Sarideepan - then-doctor at Vachira Phuket Hospital. Its over 1,700-foot wave was the largest ever recorded for a tsunami. Credit: Courtesy. 1958 Lituya Bay earthquake and megatsunamiTsunami / Biggest Boats are safer from tsunami damage while in the deep ocean ( > 100 m) rather than moored in a harbor. [14] Its epicentre was between Simeulue and mainland Sumatra. This time it dragged bungalows and restaurants down to the sea with it. Indonesia was the worst-hit country, with more than 120,000 dead. [157] The announcement was a false alarm, and the Home Affairs minister withdrew their announcement. [153][154] 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. In many places, the waves reached as far as 2km (1.2mi) inland.[49]. [73] The degradation of the natural environment in Sri Lanka contributed to the high death tolls. The shift of mass and the massive release of energy slightly altered the Earth's rotation. A notable exception was the 1958 tsunami triggered by a landslide in a narrow bay on Alaskas coast. One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, close to the epicentre. Where did people evacuate before the 2004 tsunami? 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 tsunami first struck the eastern coastline and subsequently refracted around the southern point of Sri Lanka (Dondra Head). On the western coast, the runup elevations were 4.5m (15ft) at Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu and 3.4m (11ft) each at Kollam and Ernakulam districts in Kerala. Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, tsunami that hit the coasts of several countries of South and Southeast Asia in December 2004. These problems also made the delivery of relief aid more challenging. As I sat there, I felt the earthquake at around 08:00. Video footage revealed torrents of black water, surging by windows of a two-story residential area situated about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) inland. Moreover, the tsunami was detected by scuba divers around offshore islands like the Similan Islands and the Surin Islands. [70], The greatest run-up height of the tsunami was measured at a hill between Lhoknga and Leupung, on the western coast of the northern tip of Sumatra, near Banda Aceh, and reached 51m (167ft). On Karon Beach, Kamala Beach and Kata Beach, the tsunami came in like a surging flood inland carrying people and cars. 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 36m (120ft), but more accurate data released more than a month after the earthquake found the movement to be about 0.2m (8in). Moments later, the ocean floor was exposed as much as 1km (0.62mi) in places, which was followed by massive second and third waves. Many tourists and locals can be seen trying to gather fish. We provide high quality business cards, postcards, flyers, brochures, stationery and other premium online print products. Science Dec 24, 2014 2:11 PM EST. [65], Lhoknga is a small coastal community about 13km (8.1mi) south-west of Banda Aceh, located on a flat coastal plain in between two rainforest-covered hills, overlooking a large bay and famous for its large swathe of white sandy beach and surfing activities. [76] The tsunami heights were 56m (1620ft) and the inundated depth was about 2m (6.6ft). The day that changed tsunami science. Answer 3: Tsunamis are generated by waves due to vertical motion of Earth's crust caused by earthquakes. I told him it was really worth it. The waves arrived around noon local time.[94]. The first warning sign of a possible tsunami is the earthquake itself. A few other African countries also recorded fatalities; one in Kenya, three in Seychelles, ten in Tanzania, and South Africa, where two were killed as a direct result of the tsunamithe furthest from the epicentre. [148], Many health professionals and aid workers have reported widespread psychological trauma associated with the tsunami. I contacted my friend who was in the navy and he told me it was a tsunami. Chapter 6, "Thailand", in Jayasuriya, Sisira and Peter McCawley. Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over several minutes: Measurements from these satellites may prove invaluable for the understanding of the earthquake and tsunami. Theres so much debris in the water that youll probably get crushed.. Since the media coverage of the event was so extensive, many tourists cancelled vacations and trips to that part of the world, even though their travel destinations may not have been affected. The eastern shores of Sri Lanka were the hardest hit since it faced the epicentre of the earthquake, while the southwestern shores were hit later, but the death toll was just as severe. In addition to a 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. Perhaps the most destructive tsunami in recorded history was the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. In 2004, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra killed 226,000 people across the Indian Ocean, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia. [62], The tsunami devastated the coastline of Aceh province, about 20 minutes after the earthquake. But, do not risk your life and attempt to motor your boat into deep water if it is too close to wave arrival time. Samran Chanyang - master of ceremonies and mortician at Yan Yao temple. Traduzioni in contesto per "alla catastrofe dello tsunami" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: La TEC rappresenta uno sforzo di collaborazione tra le organizzazioni che si occupano degli aiuti al fine di trarre insegnamenti dalla risposta fornita alla catastrofe dello tsunami. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 Why were so many buildings destroyed in the 2011 Japanese earthquake? [135][136] In Sri Lanka, artisanal fishery, in which 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. . The largest amplitude signals are seismic surface waves that reach the antipode after about 100 minutes. We had no place for them so they were wrapped in plastic and white sheets before laying on the ground all over the temple. [170] Many charities were given considerable donations from the public. In comparison to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the death toll from these earthquakes and tsunamis was significantly lower, primarily because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas.[10]. [140], Both the earthquake and the tsunami may have affected shipping in the Malacca Straits, which separate Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, by changing the depth of the seabed and by disturbing navigational buoys and old shipwrecks. [150] Saudi cleric Muhammad Al-Munajjid attributed it to divine retribution against non-Muslim vacationers "who used to sprawl all over the beaches and in pubs overflowing with wine" during Christmas break. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 26. In fact, the largest tsunami wave ever recorded broke on a cool July night in 1958 and only claimed five lives. Often, the worst tsunamis are not the largest. Given that over 51,000 vessels were lost to the tsunami, the industry boomed. Here are a few of the planets most endangered animals who we may have to say good-bye to in 2015: 1) Amur leopard. The raising of the seafloor significantly reduced the capacity of the Indian Ocean, producing a permanent rise in the global sea level by an estimated 0.1mm (0.004in).[27]. who survived the 2004 tsunami, and was also filmed in Khao Lak. [162], The changes in the distribution of masses inside the Earth due to the earthquake had several consequences. [158], The tsunami had a severe humanitarian and political impact in Sweden. A series of huge waves triggered by an earthquake killed more than 230,000 people in 14 countries. You may find some of the details distressing. The sea was quite calm, the sky was so clear and blue. Find a sturdy building and head for the roof. From the beginning local people took care of him and then a Swedish family found him., 143 The second wave came 10 minutes after the first one with a maximum height of 4.8m (16ft) to 8m (26ft) and caused the major destruction. What characteristics allow plants to survive in the desert? [25] However, historical earthquake strength can sometimes be estimated by examining historical descriptions of the damage caused, and the geological records of the areas where they occurred. Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. A regular passenger train operating between Maradana and Matara was derailed and overturned by the tsunami and claimed at least 1,700 lives, the largest single rail disaster death toll in history. 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", "How do they measure earthquakes from 250 years ago? [4] Radar satellites recorded the heights of tsunami waves in deep water: maximum height was at 600mm (2ft) two hours after the earthquake, the first such observations ever made. All of a sudden, I felt the ship lift and swing to the left and to the right. [86], The worst affected island in the Andaman & Nicobar chain is Katchall Island, with 303 people confirmed dead and 4,354 missing out of a total population of 5,312. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. What was the magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004? On the island of Pulau Weh, strong surges were experienced in the port of Sabang, yet there was little damage with reported runup values of 35m (9.816.4ft), most likely due to the island being sheltered from the direct attack by the islands to the south-west. [41] Since movement was vertical as well as lateral, some coastal areas may have been moved to below sea level. [53] At Manzanillo, Mexico, a 2.6m (8.5ft) crest-to-trough tsunami was measured. At that moment, everything was crazy. [citation needed] Inundation limit was found to be up to 1.25km (0.78mi) inland. Then the water went down, so far out, before the second wave hit the beach again. [77] Moreover, the largest death toll occurred at Khao Lak, with about 5,000 people killed. [99], According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a total of 227,898 people died. The hospital director asked me to go to help implant microchips into the dead bodies as requested by the forensic police. [16], The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was initially documented as having a moment magnitude of 8.8. I turned on the TV and saw what happened in my area. I got a request to go to a supermarket on the beach road where many people were trapped inside. 26, 2004, when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the Indonesian coast sent tidal wave speeding toward Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The tsunami heights from the 2004 December earthquake were not more than 3m (9.8ft) along the Myanmar coast, the amplitudes were slightly large off the Ayeyarwaddy Delta, probably because the shallow delta caused a concentration in tsunami energy. 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. The highest-recorded tsunami run-up was measured 19.6m (64ft) at Ban Thung Dap, on the south-west tip of Ko Phra Thong Island and the second-highest at 15.8m (52ft) at Ban Nam Kim. Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, tsunami that hit the coasts of several countries of South and Southeast Asia in December 2004. Wittaya Tantawanich - emergency worker, Patong beach. The 2002 Sumatra earthquake is believed to have been a foreshock, preceding the main event by over two years. [151], The widespread devastation caused by the tsunami led GAM to declare a cease-fire on 28 December 2004 followed by the Indonesian government, and the two groups resumed long-stalled peace talks, which resulted in a peace agreement signed 15 August 2005. In their report, the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition stated, "It should be remembered that all such data are subject to error, as data on missing persons especially are not always as good as one might wish". Edie Fassnidge lost both her mother and sister in the tsunami. However, between 2013 and 2014, piracy incidents rose dramatically by 73.2% to exceed pre-tsunami levels. The tsunami hit during high tide. T. Ghosh, P. Jana, T.S. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 lasted for seven hours and reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand, and as far away as East Africa. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But we didn't have a plan for something this big. I continued to sit there waiting to get an emergency call. Answer:Foreigners from 38 nations were killed by the waves that struck southern Thailand. [132], The level of damage to the economy resulting from the tsunami depends on the scale examined. Our speedboat was getting closer to the shore. [82], The tsunami run-up was only 1.6m (5.2ft) in areas in the state of Tamil Nadu shielded by the island of Sri Lanka but was 45m (1316ft) in coastal districts such as Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu directly across from Sumatra. Other towns on Aceh's west coast hit by the disaster included Leupung, Lhokruet, Lamno, Patek, Calang, and Teunom. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? In deep ocean water, tsunami waves form only a low, broad hump, barely noticeable and harmless, which generally travels at high speed of 500 to 1,000km/h (310 to 620mph); in shallow water near coastlines, a tsunami slows down to only tens of kilometres per hour but, in doing so, forms large destructive waves. Weeks after the earthquake, theoretical models suggested the earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2.68 microseconds, due to a decrease in the oblateness of the Earth. Video footage showed that the tsunami appeared as multiple white surfs violently lifting up yachts, boats and crashing onto beaches. Some of them were still alive but many of them were dead. However, when the seawalls were made of loose stones, the stones were displaced and carried a few metres inland.[79][81][85]. 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. The environmental impact took a long time and significant resources to assess. Along the west coast, the inundation was observed around Guptapara, Manjeri, Wandoor, Collinpur and Tirur regions. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Read about our approach to external linking. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. [100] An initial report by Siti Fadilah Supari, the Indonesian Minister of Health at the time, estimated the death total to be as high as 220,000 in Indonesia alone, giving a total of 280,000 fatalities. Eyewitnesses described the tsunami as a "black giant", "mountain" and a "wall of water". I chuckled at what I saw but it wasn't long before I realised something was wrong. [152], In a poll conducted in 27 countries, 15% of respondents named the tsunami the most significant event of the year. Somchai Jitpentom - doctor on diving holiday with his wife. What I saw at first was just a flash flood that brought a massive amount of water. with a marginal drop in sea level. The waves arrived after the sea receded about 500m (1,600ft), followed by an advancing small tsunami. The maximum inundation limit due to tsunami water was about 500m (1,600ft). The India Plate meets the Burma Plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian Plate) at the Sunda Trench. This is unusual since earthquakes of magnitude eight or more occur only about once per year on average. Countries/Territory that lost citizens while abroad. Local footage recorded showed the tsunami flooding the streets up to knee level in town, while another video taken at the beach showed the tsunami slowly flooding and gradually surging inland. I was shocked and worried since my son had gone to work in Khao Lak [on the mainland coast north of Phuket]. The greatest tsunami inundation occurred at North Male Atoll, Male island at 250m (820ft) along the streets. Tsunamis are giant waves that are produced when a large volume of water is displaced in an ocean or large lake by an earthquake, volcanic eruption, underwater landslide or meteorite. The India Plate sinks deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until the increasing temperature and pressure drive volatiles out of the subducting plate. As a result, mangrove restoration become a focus of a number of projects, with varied success. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I said the prayer into the microphone, so everyone could hear it. I noticed the temple ground covered in blood and lymph. [36], The earthquake generated a seismic oscillation of the Earth's surface of up to 200300mm (812in), equivalent to the effect of the tidal forces caused by the Sun and Moon. Seismographic and acoustic data indicate that the first phase involved a rupture about 400km (250mi) long and 100km (60mi) wide, 30km (19mi) beneath the sea bedthe largest rupture ever known to have been caused by an earthquake. [74] In Hambantota, run-ups measured 11m (36ft) with the greatest inundation distance of 2km (1.2mi). Some locations reported that the waves had reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit the shoreline. 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