The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. The earthquake generated a tsunami that was among the deadliest disasters in modern history, killing well over 200,000 people. Subject: Animation of 2004 Indonesia tsunami Source: NOAA [1] Animation provided by Vasily V. Titov, Associate Director, Tsunami Inundation Mapping Efforts (TIME), NOAA/PMEL - UW/JISAO, USA. See a full-length animation at Image:2004 Indonesia Tsunami Complete. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... Subject: Animation of 2004 Indonesia tsunami Source: NOAA [1] Animation provided by Vasily V. Titov, Associate Director, Tsunami Inundation Mapping Efforts (TIME), NOAA/PMEL - UW/JISAO, USA. File links The following pages link to this file: 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake Categories: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration images ... Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998 An earthquake is a trembling or a shaking movement of the Earths surface. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... This is a list of world disasters, both natural and man-made. ... The terms Modern World, Modern Period, New World, Modern Times, Progressive Age, Modern Age, or Modern Era are recognized by historians as being that period of time commencing after the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, after the mid-18th century. ...

The magnitude of the earthquake has been estimated at 9.0, making it the largest earthquake since the 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake off Alaska in 1964, and joint fourth largest since 1900. It has since been re-estimated at 9.3, which would make it the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph, although the US Geological Survey has not yet accepted this revision. See list of earthquakes. The moment magnitude scale (a successor to the Richter Scale), was introduced in 1979 by Tom Hanks and Hiroo Kanamori and is used by seismologists to compare the energy released by earthquakes. ... Epicenter The Good Friday Earthquake (also called the Great Alaska Earthquake) of March 27, 1964, was the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski Official languages English Area 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water 236,507 km² (13. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Seismographs (in Greek seismos = earthquake and graphein = write) are used by seismologists to record seismic waves. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... The following is a list of major earthquakes. ...

The earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue island, off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The resulting tsunami devastated the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South India, Thailand and other countries with waves up to 30 m (100 feet). It caused serious damage and deaths as far as the east coast of Africa, with the furthest recorded death due to the tsunami occurring at Port Elizabeth in South Africa, 8,000km (5,000 miles) away from the epicentre *. A compass rose with North highlighted North is one of the four primary cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the primary direction and used (explicitly or implicitly) to define all other directions. ... Sumatra; Simeulue is near the left edge in the upper half Outline of Simeulue, with the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake indicated The island and County of Simeulue lies in the Indian Ocean 150 km off the west coast of the province of Aceh on the island of... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ... South India is a geographic and linguistic-cultural region of India. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... Port Elizabeth is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, at 33°58′ S 25°36′ E. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. ... The epicenter or epicentre (ancient Greek: επίκεντρον) is the point on the Earths surface that is directly above or below the center of a localized explosive event or point of seismic energy release. ... A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order – for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. ...

Anywhere from 200,000 to 310,000 people are thought to have died as a result of the tsunami, and the count is not yet complete. In Indonesia in particular, 500 bodies a day were still being found in February 2005 and the count was expected to continue past June (CNN, February 10, 2005, [2] (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/tsunami.ship.ap/index.html)). The true final toll may never be known due to bodies having been swept out to sea, but current estimates use conservative methodologies. Relief agencies warn of the possibility of more deaths to come as a result of epidemics caused by poor sanitation, but the threat of starvation seems now to have been largely averted (BBC News, January 9, 2005, [3] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4157947.stm)). The plight of the many affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response. 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Ongoing events • Iraqi legislative election • Bill C-38 (Canada gay marriage) • Tsunami relief Upcoming events • March 11: Red Nose Day 2005 in the UK. Deaths in February • 26 – Jef Raskin • 25 – Hugh Nibley • 25 – Peter Benenson • 21... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Starvation is a severe reduction in vitamin, nutrient, and energy intake, and is the most extreme form of malnutrition. ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order – for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. ... The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the major natural disasters of modern times. ...

Quake characteristics

Epicentre of the quake, just north of Simeulue Island

The earthquake was initially reported as 6.8 on the Richter scale. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) also estimated it at 8.5 shortly after the earthquake. On the moment magnitude scale, which is more accurate for quakes of this size, the earthquake's magnitude was first reported as 8.1 by the U.S. Geological Survey. After further analysis, this was increased to 8.5, 8.9, and 9.0 (USGS, 2004, [4] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/usslav.htm)). In February 2005, some scientists revised the estimate of magnitude to 9.3. Although the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has accepted this, the USGS has so far not changed its estimate of 9.0 (McKee, 9 Feb 2005, [5] (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6991)). Epicenter of 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, just north of Simeulue Island. ... Epicenter of 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, just north of Simeulue Island. ... The epicenter or epicentre (ancient Greek: επίκεντρον) is the point on the Earths surface that is directly above or below the center of a localized explosive event or point of seismic energy release. ... Sumatra; Simeulue is near the left edge in the upper half Outline of Simeulue, with the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake indicated The island and County of Simeulue lies in the Indian Ocean 150 km off the west coast of the province of Aceh on the island of... lllllllRichter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ... The moment magnitude scale (a successor to the Richter Scale), was introduced in 1979 by Tom Hanks and Hiroo Kanamori and is used by seismologists to compare the energy released by earthquakes. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Ongoing events • Iraqi legislative election • Bill C-38 (Canada gay marriage) • Tsunami relief Upcoming events • March 11: Red Nose Day 2005 in the UK. Deaths in February • 26 – Jef Raskin • 25 – Hugh Nibley • 25 – Peter Benenson • 21... Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) operated by NOAA in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, USA is a tsunami warning system, overseeing the international tsunami prediction and issuing warnings for the Pacific Ocean area. ...

The hypocentre of the main earthquake was at 3.316°N, 95.854°E (3° 19′ N, 95° 51.24′ E), some 160 km (100 miles) west of Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km (18.6 miles) below mean sea level (initially reported as 10 km). This is at the extreme western end of the Ring of Fire, an earthquake belt that accounts for 81 percent of the world's largest earthquakes (USGS FAQ, [6] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html#1)). The earthquake itself (apart from the tsunami) was felt as far away as Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and the Maldives. Hypocenter - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... To help compare orders of magnitude; this page lists lengths between 100 and 1,000 km (105 and 106 m). ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 km (104 to 105 m). ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... The Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean. ...

Since 1900 the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (magnitude 9.5), the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake in Prince William Sound (9.2), and the March 9, 1957 earthquake [7] (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/usa/1957_03_09.html) in the Andreanof Islands (9.1). The only other recorded earthquake of magnitude 9.0 was in 1952 off the southeast coast of Kamchatka [8] (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/world/1952_11_04.html) (see Top 10 earthquakes (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/10maps_world.html)). Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis (in the Pacific Ocean), but the death toll from these was significantly lower; a few thousand for the worst one, probably because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas and the much greater distances to more populated coasts. 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Great Chilean Earthquake of May 22, 1960 is the largest magnitude earthquake in recorded history. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Epicenter The Good Friday Earthquake (also called the Great Alaska Earthquake) of March 27, 1964, was the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history. ... Prince William Sound, on the south coast of Alaska. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Andreanof Islands are a group of islands in the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska between the Rat Islands group, to the west and the Fox Islands group, to the east, at about 52° North and 172°57 to 179°09 West. ... 1952 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Kamchatka Oblast, an oblast in Russia. ... A megathrust earthquake is an interplate earthquake where one tectonic plate slips beneath (subducts) another. ...

Other 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 US and Canada, Juan de Fuca Plate and North American Plate). These are all believed to have been of greater than magnitude 9, but no accurate measurements were available in those days. 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Nazca Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west coast of South America. ... The South American Plate is a continental tectonic plate covering the continent of South America and extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. ... 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Detail of the Cocos and Caribbean plates from: [Image:Plate tectonics map. ... Events January 1 - Russia accepts Julian calendar. ... The Cascadia Earthquake was a magnitude 8. ... Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ... The North American Plate is a continental tectonic plate covering the continent of North America and extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. ...

Tectonic plates

The earthquake was unusually large in geographical extent. An estimated 1200 km (750 miles) of faultline slipped about 15 m (50 ft) along the subduction zone where the India Plate dives under the Burma Plate. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over a period of several minutes. Seismographic data indicate that the first phase involved the formation of a rupture about 400 km (250 miles) long and 100 km (60 miles) wide, located 30 km (19 miles) beneath the sea bed. The rupture proceeded at a speed of about 2 km/s (1.2 miles/s) or 7200 km/h (4470 miles/h), beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over a period of about 100 seconds. A pause of about another 100 seconds took place before the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands [9] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,1383675,00.html). The India Plate is part of the great Indo-Australian Plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is drifting northeast at an average of 6 cm/year (2 inches/year). The India Plate meets the Burma Plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian Plate) at the Sunda Trench. At this point the India Plate subducts the Burma Plate, which carries the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands and northern Sumatra. 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 mantle above and trigger melt which exits the earth's mantle through volcanoes (see Volcanic arc). The volcanic activity that results as the Indo-Australian plate subducts the Eurasian plate has created the Sunda Arc. To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 106 and 107 m (1,000 and 10,000 km). ... Old fault exposed by roadcut near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 m and 100 m. ... Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ... The India or Indian Plate is a minor tectonic plate. ... The Burma Plate is a small tectonic plate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. ... Aceh (pronounced Ah-chay) is a special territory (daerah istimewa, or special autonomy) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Dutch colonists and the current Indonesian government. ... Categories: Plate tectonics | Geology stubs ... The Bay of Bengal is a sea that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. ... Categories: Plate tectonics | Geology stubs ... Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ... Map of Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of India. ... Ethnolinguistic map of the precolonial Andaman 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. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ... A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanic islands or mountains located near the edge of continents that are formed as the result of tectonic plate subduction. ... Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ...

As well as the sideways movement between the plates, the sea bed is estimated to have risen by several metres, triggering devastating tsunami waves. The waves did not originate from a point source, as mistakenly depicted in some illustrations of their spread, but radiated outwards along the entire 1200 km (750 miles) length of the rupture. This greatly increased the geographical area over which the waves were observed, reaching as far as Mexico and Chile. The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...

Aftershocks and other earthquakes

Locations of initial quake and aftershocks (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 largest aftershock was 8.7 epicentred off the Sumatran island of Nias [10] (http://www.investors.com/breakingnews.asp?journalid=26681113&brk=1). Other aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.6 continue to shake the region on a daily basis [11] (http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/) [12] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/10/95_5.html). Download high resolution version (612x792, 61 KB) Aftershocks of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, with data up to January 10, 2005. ... Download high resolution version (612x792, 61 KB) Aftershocks of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, with data up to January 10, 2005. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... Aftershocks are earthquakes of smaller magnitude that follow a large quake. ... Ethnolinguistic map of the precolonial Andaman 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. ... Map of Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of India. ... Sumatra, Indonesia Nias is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. ...

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 [13] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ussjal.htm). This is unusual, since earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more occur only about once per year on average [14] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html#8). 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 quakes happened on opposite sides of the Indo-Australian Plate [15] (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11787870%255E28477,00.html) (a 6.5 earthquake (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usurbm/) occurred on 19 February 2005 off Sulawesi at the other end of the Indonesian island chain). However the US Geological Survey sees no evidence of a causal relationship [16] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/neic_slav_faq.html). The sub-antarctic islands are the islands in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. ... Southern coast of the main island The Auckland Islands form a sub-antarctic archipelago of New Zealand. ... Macquarie Island is located in the Southern Ocean, about halfway between Australia and Antarctica. ... Categories: Plate tectonics | Geology stubs ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Map of Sulawesi pictures by Julianto Halim Sulawesi (or Celebes) is a large Indonesian island. ... 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 magnitude 6.6 earthquake killed an estimated 30,000 people in the city of Bam in Iran [17] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/uscvad.htm). A nice [almost] psychotic chick. ...

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 [18] (http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=650823).

An earthquake of magnitude 8.7 was reported shortly at 16:09:37 UTC (23:09:37 local time) on March 28, 2005 approximately at the same location (see 2005 Sumatran earthquake). It is likely a very large aftershock of the original earthquake. This earthquake had strong aftershocks of its own, including magnitude 6.0 and 6.1 quakes. At 8.7, it ranks as the 7th largest earthquake since 1900. Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... Epicentre map from NOAA USGS image depicting earthquake zones for the Sunda Trench - Damage zones for 1833 and 1861, then 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 28 March 2005 Sumatran earthquake. ...

An earthquake magnitude 6.7 struck on 10th April at 1729 local time (1029 GMT) about 120km (75 miles) south-west of the city of Padang. See BBC News: Sumatra shaken by new earthquake (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4430255.stm) - also see Wikinews (http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Panic_in_Sumatra_after_new_earthquake)

Some scientists warn that geological stresses caused by the recent quakes may even have increased the possibility that the Lake Toba supervolcano could erupt. [19] (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12716344-2,00.html) According to the Toba catastrophe theory, this could threaten human life on Earth. View of Lake Toba Lake Toba is a large lake, 100km long and 30km wide, in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... A supervolcano refers to a volcano that produces the largest and most voluminous kinds of eruptions on earth. ... According to the Toba catastrophe theory, modern human evolution was affected by a recent large volcanic event. ...

Some scientists confirm that the December quake had activated Leuser Mountain, a volcano in Aceh province along the same range of peaks as Talang, while the 2005 Sumatran earthquake) had sparked activity in lake Toba, an ancient crater in Sumatra. [20] (http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1317370,00050004.htm) Epicentre map from NOAA USGS image depicting earthquake zones for the Sunda Trench - Damage zones for 1833 and 1861, then 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 28 March 2005 Sumatran earthquake. ...

Coincidentally, Mount Talang has since erupted[21] (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=661767) and is now on top alert. [22] (http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-04-13T031601Z_01_YUE308397_RTRUKOC_0_INDONESIA-VOLCANO.xml)

Power of the earthquake

The total energy released by the earthquake in the Indian Ocean has been estimated as 2.0 exajoules (2.0×10¹⁸ joules) [23] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/neic_slav_faq.html). This is enough to boil 150 litres (40 US gallons) of water for every person on Earth. It is estimated to have resulted in an oscillation of the Earth's surface of about 20-30 cm (8 to 12 inches), equivalent to the effect of the tidal forces caused by the Sun and Moon [24] (http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=650823). The shock waves of the earthquake were felt across the planet; as far away as Oklahoma, vertical movements of 3 mm (0.12 inches) were recorded [25] (http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/stories/20041228/localnews/1795857.html). To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various energy levels between 10−31 joules and 1070 joules. ... The joule (symbol J, also called newton metre, or coulomb volt) is the SI unit of energy and work. ... The litre (or liter in US) is a metric unit of volume. ... The gallon is a unit of volume used for measuring liquids (as well as dry matter). ... This article is about tides in the ocean. ... A Sun is the star at the centre of a solar system. ... Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ... State nickname: Sooner State Other U.S. States Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Governor Brad Henry Official languages None Area 181,196 km² (20th)  - Land 178,023 km²  - Water 3,173 km² (1. ...

The shift of mass and the massive release of energy very slightly altered the Earth's rotation. The exact amount is yet undetermined, but theoretical models suggest the earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2.68 microseconds (2.68 µs) (or about one billionth of the length of a day) [26] (http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2005/jan/HQ_05011_earthquake.html) due to a decrease in the oblateness of the Earth. It also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 2.5 cm (1 inch) in the direction of 145° east longitude [27] (http://slate.msn.com/id/2111443/), [28] (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/12/29/quake.wobble.reut/index.html) or perhaps by up to 5 or 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 inches) [29] (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/29/content_2389519.htm). However, due to 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. Similarly, the natural Chandler wobble of the Earth can be up to 15 m (50 ft). A microsecond is an SI unit of time equal to one millionth (10-6) of a second. ... Oblate also refers to a member of the Roman Catholic religious order of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, or in some cases to a lay or religious person who has officially associated himself (or herself) with a monastic community such as the Benedictines for reasons of personal enrichment without... Map of Earth showing curved lines of longitude Longitude, sometimes denoted λ, describes the location of a place on Earth east or west of a north-south line called the Prime Meridian. ... Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ... The Chandler wobble is a small variation in Earths axis of rotation, discovered by American astronomer Seth Carlo Chandler in 1891. ... The metre (American spelling: meter), symbol: m, is the basic unit of distance (or of length, in the parlance of the physical sciences) in the International System of Units. ...

More spectacularly, there was 10 m (33 feet) movement laterally and 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 feet) vertically along the fault line. Early speculation was that some of the smaller islands southwest of Sumatra may have moved southwest by up to 20 m (66 feet). There were also calculations that the northern tip of Sumatra, which is on the Burma Plate (the southern regions are on the Sunda Plate), may have moved up to 36 m (118 ft) southwest. Since movement was vertical as well as lateral, some coastal areas may now be below sea level. Measurements using GPS and satellite imagery are being used to determine the extent and nature of actual geophysical change [30] (http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/10574872.htm). The Andaman and Nicobar Islands appear to have shifted southwest [31] (http://www.seires.net/content/view/122/52/). Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ... The Burma Plate is a small tectonic plate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. ... Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ... Satellite imagery are photographs of Earth or other planets made from artificial satellites. ...

In February 2005, the Royal Navy vessel HMS Scott surveyed the sea bed around the earthquake zone, which varies in depth between 1,000 m (3,300 feet) and 5,000 m (16,500 feet) west of Sumatra. The survey, conducted using a high-resolution multi-beam sonar system, revealed that the earthquake had had a huge impact on the topography of the sea bed. It had created large thrust ridges, about 1,500 m high, which have collapsed in places to produce large landslides several kilometres across. One landslide consisted of a single block of material some 100 m (300 feet) high and 2 km (1.25 miles) long. The force of the displaced water was such that individual blocks of rock, massing millions of tons apiece, were dragged as much as 10 km (7 miles) across the sea bed. An oceanic trench several kilometres wide was also found in the earthquake zone [32] (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6994). The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... HMS Scott is an ocean-going survey vessel of the Royal Navy. ... The F70 type frigates (here, La Motte-Picquet) are fitted with VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) type DUBV43 or DUBV43C tugged sonars Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation under water to navigate or to detect other watercraft. ... This entry refers to the geological term landslide. ... Categories: Stub | Plate tectonics | Earth sciences | Landforms | Oceanic trenches ...

By a beneficial and remarkable coincidence, satellites TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason 1 happened to pass over the tsunami as it was crossing the ocean [33] (http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/press-releases/20050111.html). These satellites carry radars that measure precisely the height of the water surface; anomalies of the order of 50 cm (20 inches) were measured. Measurements from these satellites may prove invaluable for the understanding of the earthquake and tsunami [34] (http://www.aviso.oceanobs.com/html/applications/geophysique/tsunami_uk.html). 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 complex effects close to the coast. Inversion of this height data may help adjust the parameters for the source earthquake. The TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimeter is a science project to measure the ocean surface topography. ... This article contains material and/or images that originally came from a NASA website. ... This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ... This tidal gauge is ready to be installed underwater in a marina. ...

Tsunami characteristics

Radar imaging of the tsunami two hours after the earthquake

Ripples were felt around the world. See also animation: MPG (http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/video/tsunami-worldpropagation2004.mpg) / AVI (http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/video/tsunami-worldpropagation2004.avi) / MOV (http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/video/tsunami-worldpropagation2004.mov).

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 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 (Earthquakes and tsunamis, Lorca et al.). Download high resolution version (2600x3012, 1029 KB)Radar detection of the height of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, at 2 hours after the earthquake. ... Download high resolution version (2600x3012, 1029 KB)Radar detection of the height of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, at 2 hours after the earthquake. ... The tsunami from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake rippled around the world. ... The tsunami from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake rippled around the world. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...

See a full-length animation of how the waves travelled (large file, about 1 MiB) to see exactly how and why some countries were more affected than others Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

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 miles/h); in shallow water near coastlines, a tsunami slows down to only tens of kilometres an hour but in doing so forms large destructive waves [35] (http://www.prh.noaa.gov/itic/library/about_tsu/faqs.html#8). Scientists investigating the damage in Aceh found evidence that the wave reached a height of 80 feet (24 m) when coming ashore along large stretches of the coastline, rising to 100 feet (30 m) in some areas when travelling inland [36] (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/211012_tsunamiscience07.html).

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). 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 analyze [37] (http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2365.htm) [38] (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6854). This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ... A centimetre (American spelling: centimeter, symbol: cm) is an SI unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ...

According to Tad Murty, vice-president of the Tsunami Society, the total energy of the tsunami waves was about five megatons of TNT (20 petajoules). 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 [39] (http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=2257b78c-3897-4594-ad86-18c0eb661bea). In many places the waves reached as far as 2 km (1.24 mi) inland [40] (http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524825.100). Tad Murty is an Indian-Canadian expert on tsunamis and a former president of the Tsunami Society. ... The Tsunami Society is a research organization that studies tsunamis and seeks to supply information about them to the public. ... A megaton or megatonne is a unit of mass equal to 1,000,000 metric tons, i. ... Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a pale yellow crystalline aromatic hydrocarbon compound that melts at 354 K (178 °F). ... This article describes the SI prefix peta. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... 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. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... See mile - unit of measurement (distance) Miles Aircraft Ltd - UK manufacturer of light and military aircraft Miles Tails Prower Miles Davis was an American jazz composer and trumpeter and was one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the 20th century. ...

Because the 1,200 km of faultline affected by the quake was in a nearly north-south orientation, the greatest strength of the tsunami waves was in an east-west direction. 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. The Bay of Bengal is a sea that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. ...

Coasts that have a land mass between them and the tsunami's location of origin are usually safe; however, tsunami waves can sometimes diffract around such land masses. 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. Also distance alone is no guarantee of safety; Somalia was hit harder than Bangladesh despite being much farther away. Diffraction is the apparent bending and spreading of waves when they meet an obstruction. ... Kerala (or Keralam) is a state in South India, occupying a narrow strip of Indias southwestern coast. ...

Due to the distances involved, the tsunami took anywhere from fifteen minutes to seven hours (for Somalia) to reach the various coastlines (see travel time maps: [41] (http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226trt.htm), [42] (http://staff.aist.go.jp/kenji.satake/Sumatra-E.html)). 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. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ... The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar and west of Indian Ocean. ...

The tsunami was noticed as far as Struisbaai in South Africa, some 8,500 km (5,300 miles) away, where a 1.5 m (5 feet) high ‘tide’ surged onshore about 16 hours after the quake. It took a relatively long time to reach this spot at the southernmost point of Africa, probably due to the broad continental shelf off South Africa and the fact that the tsunami would have followed the South African coast from east to west [43] (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20041228044643745C770443). Struisbaai is a coastal village boasting the longest continuous stretch of white sand coastline in the Southern Hemisphere, and is located at 34:48S and 20. ...

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 (7.9 to 15.7 inches) [44] (http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/IndianOSite/IndianO12-26-04.htm). At Manzanillo, Mexico, a 2.6 m (8.5 feet) crest-to-trough tsunami was measured. Experts have speculated that this relatively large tsunami at such a great distance was caused by focusing effects of Pacific and local geography [45] (http://wikisource.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_tsunami_bulletins). Manzanillo could refer to Manzanillo, Cuba Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico Manzanillo, Panama This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Signs and warnings

Malé, the capital of Maldives, was severely hit.

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, and equally importantly, warn the general populace living around the ocean quickly. Tsunami detection is not easy because while a tsunami is in deep water it has a very low 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 [46] (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6839). Tsunami Hits the Maldives (due to 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake) The photograph was taken by Sofwathulla Mohamed while standing at his doorstep in Malé, the capital island of the Maldives. ... Tsunami Hits the Maldives (due to 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake) The photograph was taken by Sofwathulla Mohamed while standing at his doorstep in Malé, the capital island of the Maldives. ... Ariel view of Malé Malé (މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... A tsunami warning system is a system to detect tsunamis and issue warnings to prevent loss of life. ...

Scientists were also hampered by the fact that the initial estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1. The determination that the earthquake had actually been much stronger (and the resulting tsunami much larger) was not made until after the tsunami had already struck.

Tsunamis usually occur in the Pacific Ocean due to 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 due to the rarity of tsunamis there; the last major one was caused by the Krakatoa eruption of 1883. The Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean. ... An early 19th century image of Krakatoa. ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In the aftermath of the disaster there is a new awareness of the need for a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean. The UN has started working on an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System and aims to have initial steps in place by end 2005 [47] (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=12932&Cr=tsunami&Cr1=). Some have even proposed creating a unified global tsunami warning system, to include the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. See International Early Warning Programme. This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... In a United Nations conference held in January 2005 in Kobe, Japan, it was decided that, as an initial step towards an International Early Warning Programme, the UN should establish an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... The International Early Warning Programme (IEWP), was first proposed at the Second International Conference on Early Warning in 2003 in Bonn, Germany. ...

However on 28th March 2005, an 8.7 seaquake in roughly the same area failed to produce killer tsunamis. This earthquake is ranked as the 7th largest in the world. So if it fails to produce killer tides, it makes it seem as if it would require extreme and unlikely events to cause another one in this region. More so than the 7th largest earthquake since 1900.

See also the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami timeline, a minute to minute account by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Although National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii issued tsunami warnings as soon as they heard of the huge earthquake off Sumatra, the waves outran communications at jet speeds of 500 mph (804 km/h) - catching hundreds of thousands of people... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. ... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. ...

Unfamiliarity with warning signs

Maximum recession of tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach, Thailand (sea visible in the right corner).

The first warning sign of a possible tsunami is the earthquake itself; however, tsunamis can strike thousands of miles 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. People in Pacific regions are more familiar with tsunamis and often recognize this phenomenon as a sign to head for higher ground. However, 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 miles) of exposed beach, with fatal results [48] (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4246573). Receding tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach. ... Receding tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach. ... The beach and the bay at Kata Noi (December 2003). ...

One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, very close to the epicentre. Island folklore recounted an earthquake and tsunami in 1907 and the islanders fled to inland hills after the initial shaking — before the tsunami struck [49] (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,18690-1422835,00.html). On Maikhao beach in northern Phuket, Thailand, a 10 year old British girl named Tilly Smith had studied tsunamis in geography class at school and recognised the warning sign of the receding ocean. She and her parents warned others on the beach, which was evacuated safely [50]  (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/01/ugeog.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/01/01/ixportaltop.html). Sumatra; Simeulue is near the left edge in the upper half Outline of Simeulue, with the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake indicated The island and County of Simeulue lies in the Indian Ocean 150 km off the west coast of the province of Aceh on the island of... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Phuket (Thai ภูเก็ต) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ...

Damage and casualties

Devastation to Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra as a result of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (Credit: DigitalGlobe)

The reported death toll from the earthquake, the tsunami and the resultant floods varies widely due to confusion and conflicting reports, but could total to over 265,000 people with tens of thousands reported missing, and over a million left homeless. Early news reports after the earthquake spoke of a toll only in the "hundreds", but the numbers rose steadily over the following week. Download high resolution version (1024x1199, 341 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (1024x1199, 341 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Devastation to Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra as a result of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (Credit: DigitalGlobe) Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra at 5°31′ N 95°25′ E, with... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ... A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease. ...

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 the fact that 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 [51] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4383573.stm). Oxfam is an international charity based in Oxford, UK, that organizes famine relief and promotes development. ...

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 Scandinavians. The European nation hardest hit may have been Sweden, which reported more than 500 dead or missing [52] (http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=1142&date=20050321). Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. ...

States of emergency were declared in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Maldives. The United Nations has declared that the current relief operation will be the costliest ever. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated that reconstruction would probably take between five and ten years. Governments and NGOs fear the final death toll may double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response. A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government or may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or to order government agencies to implement their emergency preparedness plans. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... Order: 7th Secretary-General Term of Office: January 1, 1997–present Predecessor: Boutros Boutros-Ghali Successor: incumbent Born: April 8, 1938 Place of birth: Kumasi, Ghana Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ... A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease. ... The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the major natural disasters of modern times. ...

Measured in lives lost, this is one of the ten worst earthquakes in recorded history([53] (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqsmosde.html)). It is also the single worst tsunami in history; the previous record was the 1703 tsunami at Awa, Japan, that killed over 100,000 people ([54] (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageseas/neptune-side-tsunamis.html)). Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy May 27 - Founding of St Petersburg in Russia May 26 - Portugal joins Grand Alliance July 29-31 - Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the... The Aw are an endangered indigenous group of people living in the eastern Amazon forests of Brazil. ...

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 quake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC, add the above offsets to find the local time of the quake. A list of times can be found at a USGS site (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/neic_slav_tz.html). Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, the basis for civil time, differs by an integral number of seconds from atomic time and a fractional number of seconds from UT1. ...

Note: All figures are approximate and subject to change. The first column links to more details on specific countries.
¹ Includes those reported under 'Deaths'. If no separate estimates are available, the number in this column is the same as reported under 'Deaths'.
² Does not include approximately 19,000 missing people initially declared by Tamil Tiger authorities from regions under their control [55] (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL141794.htm).
³ Data includes at least 2,464 foreigners.
⁴ Does not include South African citizens who died outside of South Africa (eg, tourists in Thailand). For more information on those deaths, see this link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countries_affected_by_the_2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake#S_-_Z)
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, pronounced L-T-T), also known as the Tamil Tigers, is the main Tamil anti-government organization operating in Sri Lanka. ...

Countries affected

Countries most directly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Main article: Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake Download high resolution version (800x655, 58 KB) Subject: Map showing countries directly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. ... Download high resolution version (800x655, 58 KB) Subject: Map showing countries directly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. ... A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order – for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. ...

The earthquake and resulting tsunami affected a large number of countries in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and others. Many other countries, especially Australia and those in Europe, had large numbers of citizens travelling in the region on holiday. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

Casualties in historical context

The earthquake was the fourth most powerful recorded since 1900, and the confirmed death toll so far is between 165,000 and 235,000, due to the ensuing tsunami. 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 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 [56] (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqsmajr.html). Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998 An earthquake is a trembling or a shaking movement of the Earths surface. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Tangshan (Chinese: 唐山市; pinyin: ) is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, Peoples Republic of China. ... The earthquake(唐山大地震) of July 28, 1976 is one of the largest earthquakes to hit the modern world in terms of the loss of life. ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Xining (Simplified Chinese : 西宁, Traditional Chinese : 西寧, Tibetan : Ziling) is the capital of Qinghai Province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Qinghai (Chinese: 青海; pinyin: Qīnghǎi; Wade-Giles: Ching-hai; Postal System Pinyin: Tsinghai) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, named after the enormous Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor). ... Great Kanto Earthquake The Great Kanto Earthquake (関東大震災 Kantō daishinsai) struck the Kanto plain on the Japanese main island of Honshu at 11:58 on the morning of September 1, 1923. ... Tokyo (東京; Tōkyō  listen, literally eastern capital), is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu in Japan. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Gansu (Simplified Chinese: 甘肃; Traditional Chinese: 甘肅; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kan-su, or modified as Kan-suh) is a province located in the northwest of the Peoples Republic of China. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The Shaanxi earthquake occurred on the morning of 14 February 1556 in China, killing approximately 830,000 people. ... A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease. ...

The 2004 tsunami is the deadliest in recorded history. Prior to 2004, the deadliest recorded tsunami was the result of an earthquake near Awa, Japan, in 1703 that killed 100,000. In 1782, 40,000 people were killed by a tsunami in the South China Sea, and the tsunami created by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa is thought to have resulted in 36,000 deaths. 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. 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. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Aw are an endangered indigenous group of people living in the eastern Amazon forests of Brazil. ... Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy May 27 - Founding of St Petersburg in Russia May 26 - Portugal joins Grand Alliance July 29-31 - Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The South China Sea, showing surrounding coutires and neighbouring seas and oceans The South China Sea is a marginal sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km². The minute South China Sea Islands, collectively an archipelago... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... An early 19th century image of Krakatoa. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Messina, Italy Strait of Messina, Italy. ... The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... This 1755 copper engraving shows the ruins of Lisbon in flames and a tsunami overwhelming the ships in the harbor. ...

The 2004 earthquake and tsunami seem to be the worst natural disaster since either the 1976 Tangshan earthquake or the 1970 Bhola cyclone, or could conceivably exceed both of these. Due to uncertainty over death tolls, it might never be known for sure which of these natural disasters was the deadliest. A natural disaster is the consequence or effect of a hazardous event, occurring when human activities and natural phenomenon (a physical event, such as a volcanic eruption, earthquake, landslide etc. ... The earthquake(唐山大地震) of July 28, 1976 is one of the largest earthquakes to hit the modern world in terms of the loss of life. ... The Bhola cyclone and tidal wave occurred in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on 13 November 1970. ...

Human component in magnitude of damage

A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruin.

An article in The Wall Street Journal on December 31, 2004 commented that human destruction of coral reefs that had formerly protected some coastal areas was a significant factor in the loss of life and damage in the area. The article pointed to the Surin Island chain off Thailand's coast as an example of protection afforded by the still intact reefs of the area. Fewer people perished in the protected areas. However, one must keep in mind that there were many fewer people on these islands, which helps explain the lower death toll. Many reefs areas around the Indian Ocean have been dynamited because they are considered impediments to shipping, an important part of the South Asian economy. Download high resolution version (1400x1000, 299 KB)Caption: 050102-N-9593M-040 Indian Ocean (Jan. ... Download high resolution version (1400x1000, 299 KB)Caption: 050102-N-9593M-040 Indian Ocean (Jan. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ... The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with an average daily circulation of 1,800,607 (2002). ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ...

Similarly, the removal of coastal mangrove trees is believed to have intensified the effect of the tsunami in some locations. 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 dunes. Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999). ... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ...

Humanitarian, economic and environmental impact

Indonesian refugees gather under an approaching helicopter to receive food and supplies.

Main article: Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake Download high resolution version (1500x1071, 321 KB)Caption: 050101-N-1229B-199 Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. ... Download high resolution version (1500x1071, 321 KB)Caption: 050101-N-1229B-199 Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. ... The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the major natural disasters of modern times. ...

A great deal of humanitarian aid is needed due to widespread damage of the infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and economic damage. Epidemics are of special concern, as they are likely due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. 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 and typhoid. There is a disputed proposal that this article should be merged with foreign aid Humanitarian aid is assistance given to people in distress by individuals, organisations, or governments to relieve suffering. ... An epidemic is generally a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... distribution of cholera Cholera (also called Asiatic cholera) is an infectious disease of the gastrointestinal tract caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. ... Dysentery is a severe diarrhea illness often associated with blood in the feces. ... This is about the disease typhoid fever. ...

In the days after the event, significant effort was spent in burying bodies hurriedly for fear of disease. However, the public health risks may have been exaggerated and therefore this may not have been the best way to allocate resources. See Dead bodies and health risks. The World Food Programme provided food aid to more than 1.3 million people affected by the tsunami [57] (http://www.wfp.org/newsroom/in_depth/frontline/2004/tsunami/0412-tsunami_crisis.html#). By other animals Humans are not the only species to bury their dead. ... Public health is an aspect of health services concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. ... After catastrophes with extensive loss of life due to trauma, much resource is often expended on burying the dead quickly, and applying disinfectant to bodies, to prevent disease. ... The World Food Programme (WFP) is an agency of the United Nations which distributes food commodities to support development projects, to long-term refugees and displaced persons and as emergency food assistance in situations of natural and man-made disasters. ...

Nations all over the world have provided over USD 3 billion in aid for damaged regions, with the Australian Government pledging USD 819.9 million (including a USD 760.6 million aid package for Indonesia^{[58] (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=25725)}), the German Government offering USD 660 million, the Japanese Government offering USD 500 million, the Canadian Government offering CAD 425 million, the U.S. Government offering USD 350 million, and the World Bank offering USD 250 million. Officials estimate that billions of dollars will be needed. In mid-March, the Asian Development Bank reported that over USD 4 billion in aid promised by government was behind schedule. Sri Lanka reported that it had received no foreign government aid, while foreign individuals had been generous [59] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4361053.stm). The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... This article describes the national government of Australia. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (in German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is a federal representative democracy. ... There is still dispute as to whether Japan is a constitutional monarchy or a republic. ... System of government Canada is a constitutional monarchy as a Commonwealth Realm (see Monarchy in Canada) with a federal system of parliamentary government, and strong democratic traditions. ... The government of the United States, established by the United States Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 states, a few territories and some protectorates. ... The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means of financing states. ... The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a non-profit finance institution with many Asian governments as shareholder members who are also the recipients of funding where appropriate. ...

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 [60] (http://www.ukabc.org/tsunamis.htm). In Sri Lanka's coastal areas, for example, artisanal fishery is an important source of fish for local markets and 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 percent 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 [61] (http://www.fao.org/tsunami/doc/Note_on_South_Asia_Tsunami_ES.doc). A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ...

But some economists believe that damage to the affected countries' 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 [62] (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6840).

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. Compiling new navigational charts may take months or years [63] (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=387928). ...

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 [64] (http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/01/14/tsunami.tourists.ap/index.html).

Environmental impact

Tsunami Inundation, North of Phuket, Thailand ASTER Images and SRTM Elevation Model [1] (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06671)

Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake has caused an enormous environmental impact which will affect the region for many years to come. 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. 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. The environmental impact will take a long time and significant resources to assess [65] (http://www.oceansatlas.org/id/71687). Download high resolution version (1987x1840, 720 KB)PIA06671: Tsunami Inundation, North of Phuket, Thailand ASTER Images and SRTM Elevation Model The Indian Ocean coastline near Phuket, Thailand is a major tourist destination that was in the path of the tsunami produced by a giant offshore earthquake on December 26, 2004. ... Download high resolution version (1987x1840, 720 KB)PIA06671: Tsunami Inundation, North of Phuket, Thailand ASTER Images and SRTM Elevation Model The Indian Ocean coastline near Phuket, Thailand is a major tourist destination that was in the path of the tsunami produced by a giant offshore earthquake on December 26, 2004. ... In ecology, an ecosystem is a naturally occurring assemblage of organisms (plant, animal and other living organisms—also referred to as a biotic community or biocoenosis) living together with their environment (or biotope), functioning as a unit of sorts. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999). ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... This article is about forests as a massing of trees. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... Divisions Green algae land plants (embryophytes) non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses vascular plants (tracheophytes) seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongue ferns seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... Sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic rock types of North America. ... Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of and in living nature. ... Groundwater is water flowing within aquifers below the water table. ... Water pollution has many sources and characteristics. ... Sewage is domestic, municipal, or industrial liquid waste products. ...

According to specialists [66] (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6840), the main effect is being caused by poisoning of the fresh water supplies and the soil by salt water infiltration and deposit of a salt layer over arable land. 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. Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for 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. For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... For information on water from a sea or ocean, see sea water. ... In chemistry, salt is a general term used for ionic compounds composed of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, so that the product is neutral and without a net charge. ... An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, or permeable mixtures of unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, silt, or clay) (see also groundwater). ...

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 them [67] (http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=414&ArticleID=4692&l=en). UNEP has decided also to earmark a USD 1,000,000 emergency fund and to establish a Task Force with this aim. 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. Much of the ecological expertise has been rendered from work with the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia's north-eastern waters. Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Exec. ... Flag of Maldives Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa (Dhivehi (requires Unicode Thaana support): ހިވެދި ގުޖޭއްރާ ޔާއްރިހޫމްޖު) local short form: Dhivehi Raajje (Dhivehi: ހިވެދި ޖްއްރާ) Data code: MV Government type: republic Capital: Male (Dhivehi: ލެމަ) Administrative divisions: 19... Satellite image of a part of the Great Barrier Reef. ...

Spiritual / psychological impact

Many health professionals and aid workers are reporting widespread psychological trauma associated with the tsunami, and many sightings of ghosts have been reported, particularly those of foreigners. Traditional beliefs in many of the affected regions state that a relative of the family must bury the body of the dead or the ghost will return. Some psychologists interpret this as evidence of psychological trauma.

Some religious groups asserted that the tsunami was God's punishment for sex tourism or other sinful activities in southeast Asia, but this attracted considerable controversy and opposition (see the scandal provoked by the conservative Moroccan newspaper Attajdid, see also this article (http://thelightofday.blogspot.com/2005/04/eleventh-commandment-thou-shalt-be.html)). In any case the hardest hit area, Aceh, is considered to be a religiously conservative Islamic society and has had no tourism or Western presence at all in recent years due to armed conflict between the Indonesian military and Acehnese separatists. The term God is ordinarily used to designate a singular, universal Supreme Being. ... Sex tourism is tourism, partially or fully for the purpose of having sex, often with prostitutes. ... Attajdid is a major Moroccan newspaper, of a generally Muslim conservative stance. ... Aceh (pronounced Ah-chay) is a special territory (daerah istimewa, or special autonomy) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Dutch colonists and the current Indonesian government. ...

In what may be the only positive note of the tsunami, the water washed away centuries of sand from some of the ruins of a 1200 year old lost city at Mahabalipuram on the south coast of India. Shore Temple, rescued from the sea Mahabalipuram (after the demon king Mahabali) or Mamallapuram (after the Pallava king Mamalla) is a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. ...

See also

• Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
• Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
• List of earthquakes
• 2005 Sumatran earthquake, a heavy aftershock of the Indian Ocean earthquake.

Wikinews logo. ... Wikinews is a free content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Abu Dhabi Abraham Lincoln Australia Adolf Hitler Animation Andorra Alaska Anatomy Asia Albert Einstein Asterales Automobile Aircraft Alexander Graham Bell Apple Computer American Civil War Ancient Egypt Asteraceae Alps Arches National Park Aarhus Almond Caesar Augustus Acacia Acropolis Acupuncture Amaranth Alexander... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free images, sound and other multimedia files. ... The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the major natural disasters of modern times. ... In a United Nations conference held in January 2005 in Kobe, Japan, it was decided that, as an initial step towards an International Early Warning Programme, the UN should establish an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. ... The following is a list of major earthquakes. ... Epicentre map from NOAA USGS image depicting earthquake zones for the Sunda Trench - Damage zones for 1833 and 1861, then 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 28 March 2005 Sumatran earthquake. ... Aftershocks are earthquakes of smaller magnitude that follow a large quake. ...

References

• An information portal on tsunami2004 with 100's of weblinks including trauma counselling, health management and aid agencies to help victims and those involved in rehabilitation (http://www.tsunami2004.net)
• McKee, Maggie: "Power of tsunami earthquake heavily underestimated (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6991)", New Scientist, (February 9, 2005)
• Paulson, Tom: "New findings super-size our tsunami threat. 80-foot waves blasted Indonesia, scientists now say (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/211012_tsunamiscience07.html)", Seattle PI, (February 7, 2005)
• "Seabed 'scarred' by tsunami quake (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/tsunami.ship.ap/index.html)", CNN, (February 10, 2005)
• "UN upbeat on tsunami hunger aid (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4157947.stm)", BBC News, (January 9, 2005)
• "Preliminary Earthquake Report for the West Coast of Northern Sumatra (2004 December 26 00:58:53 UTC)". United States Geological Survey. USGS alert. Retrieved March 3, 2005. [68] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/usslav.htm).
• "USGS Earthquake Hazards Program FAQ". United States Geological Survey. USGS earthquake FAQ. Retrieved March 3, 2005. [69] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html#1).

New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. ... CNN or Cable News Network is a cable television network that was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner & Reese Schonfeld [1][2](although he currently is not recognized in CNNs official history). ... BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for network news bulletins on BBC One and BBC Two, news output on BBC Three and BBC Four and the news networks BBC News 24, BBC World, BBC Parliament, the BBC News website and... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... For frequently asked questions about Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:FAQ FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) are a series of questions and answers all pertaining to a certain topic. ...

External links

Seismograms

• Seismic record of the event as measured in Hungary (http://fir.seismology.hu/foldrenges/allomasok/psz/PSZ.200412260000.gif)

Directories

• Yahoo! - Indian Ocean Earthquake 2004 (http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Earth_Sciences/Geology_and_Geophysics/Seismology/Historic_Earthquakes/Indian_Ocean___December_26__2004/) directory category
• LookSmart - Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunamis 2004 (http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317836/us317914/us53775/us55055/us224718/us330524/us10233792/) directory category
• Open Directory Project - Indian Ocean 2004 Earthquake (http://dmoz.org/Science/Earth_Sciences/Geophysics/Earthquakes/Past_Earthquakes/Indian_Ocean_2004/) directory category

News and reports

News collections:

• ABC News Online – Asian Tsunami Disaster (http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/tsunami/) Australia
• ABC News; Tsunami Wave of Destruction (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Tsunami/) USA
• Earthquake latest relief effort news (http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1942&pxo=0) Australia
• ASEAN Tsunami Update (http://www.aseannewsnetwork.com/?c=174) ASEAN
• BBC News – In-Depth Report: Asia Quake Disaster (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/world/2004/asia_quake_disaster/default.stm) UK
• CBC News – Indepth: Disaster in Asia (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/asia_earthquake/) Canada
• Channel News Asia – Special Coverage: Killer Waves (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/killerwaves) Singapore
• CNN – Special: Tsunami Disaster (http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/tsunami.disaster/) USA
• Guardian Unlimited – Special Report: Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster (http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/) UK
• Daily News Colombo – The Power of Humanity (http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/01/19/fea04.html) Sri Lanka
• Tsunami Sri Lanka Information (http://autismsrilanka.blogspot.com) Sri Lanka
• ICSF — Updated news about tsunami impacts on fisherfolk (http://www.icsf.net/jsp/english/flashnews/newsPage.jsp) India
• Indonesia-Relief.Org; News and database on Indonesia tsunami relief effort (http://www.indonesia-relief.org) Indonesia
• New York Times – Complete (http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/worldspecial4/) USA
• Sydney Morning Herald – Waves of Devastation (http://www.smh.com.au/specials/tsunami/) Australia
• Tsunami relief pages from SIFFS (http://www.tsunami2004-india.org/) India
• Tsunamihelp Blog - Ground Zero Conditions (http://www.tsunamihelp.info/wiki/index.php/Ground_Zero_Information) Multinational
• Guardian's World News Guide (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldnewsguide/asia/) for finding local news sources
• The Phuket Gazette (http://www.phuketgazette.net) excellent coverage of Thailand post-tsunami operations. Also missing persons database.
• Tsunami Tragedy Update (http://www.bernama.com/events/tsunami/index.php?q=1) Malaysia
• An information portal on tsunami2004 with 100's of weblinks including trauma counselling, health management and aid agencies to help victims and those involved in rehabilitation (http://www.tsunami2004.net)

Tsunami Monitoring / Detection:

• Tsunami Detector for Indian Ocean (http://www.geocities.com/tvhuangsg) Web & Mobile application that reports probability of tsunami occurances from LIVE USGS data.

Scientific reports:

• Aceh province of Northern Sumatra Dr. Jose Borrero (http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1735&pxo=0)
• NOAA — NOAA and the Indian Ocean Tsunami (http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2358.htm)
• PMEL weblinks (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami/sumatra20041226.html)
• USGS — Magnitude 9.0 – off the west coast of northern Sumatra (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/usslav.htm)
• USGS — FAQ for this earthquake (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/neic_slav_faq.html)
• Tsunami Laboratory, Novosibirsk — travel-time map of tsunami waves (http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226trt.htm)
• IRIS Seismic Monitor; USGS Data (http://www.iris.edu/seismon/)
• Pacific Geoscience Center — Canada: Questions and Answers on megathrust earthquakes (http://www.pgc.nrcan.gc.ca/seismo/table.htm)

Social sciences, reports & commentaries:

• Tsunami Disaster and the Globalization of Relief (http://www.cgs.uiuc.edu/about/Events/Globalr.html) Analysis of the Tsunami Disaster from multiple viewpoints with academia with Streaming Video and Power Point Slides
• 2004 Tsunami Disaster: Scholarly and Factual Analyses (http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVLPages/AsiaPages/Tsunami-Analyses.html)
• Divining a Reason for Devastation (http://www.WashingtonPost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57758-2005Jan7.html), by Bill Broadway, The Washington Post (United States), 7 January 2005, URL: http://www.WashingtonPost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57758-2005Jan7.html, printer friendly (http://www.WashingtonPost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57758-2005Jan7.html?language=printer)
• Tsunami waves exposed remnants of lost city (http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524883.800) New Scientist
• CTV.ca Tsumami caused major gender imbalance: Oxfam (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1111861977962_8/?hub=TopStories)

Images and video

Photos

• Tsunami pictures, gallery of photos, satellites images … (http://www.futura-sciences.com/communiquer/g/showgallery.php/cat/543).
• Latest photos from Nias Off the coast of Northern Sumatra (http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1943&pxo=0) Aftershocks continue...
• Satellite photos with DHTML image comparison (http://www.waveofdestruction.org/satellite.php).
• Yahoo! Slideshows — Asian Tsunami Disaster (http://snipurl.com/bo10)
• Photos during and after the destruction of Koh Phi Phi Island (http://www.digitalvoodoo.de/blog/archives/asien/phi-phi-island-verwuestet.php)
• Satellite images of tsunami-affected areas (National University of Singapore) (http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/tsunami/tsunami.html) Microwave Image
• Pictures of the Tsunami (http://www.nst.com.my/nstpics/index_html)
• Phuket Island, Thailand (http://www.golakechelan.net/index.php?page_id=301)
• Interactive Mapping of Affected Regions (http://mapsherpa.com/tsunami/)
• Images :: Tsunami Aftermath — Penang Island, Malaysia (http://thanks4supporting.us/tsunami-aftermath-penang-island-malaysia.html) life after the tsunami
• Images :: Visit to Kota Kuala Muda, Kedah, Malaysia (http://thanks4supporting.us/visit-to-kota-kuala-muda.html) Relief work in the northern state
• Tsunami photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/tsunami) at Flickr
• Images/video :: Maldives Tsunami photo (http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv) www.tsunamimaldives.mv
• Tsunamis.com - 2004 Asian Tsunami Pictures (http://www.tsunamis.com/tsunami-pictures.html)
• ChamorroBible.org: The Great Earthquake and Catastrophic Tsunami of 2004 (http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-The-Great-Earthquake-and-Catastrophic-Tsunami-of-2004.htm) — Six photo essays published 3 January 2005 to 8 January 2005 in the Chamorro and English languages on http://ChamorroBible.org (United States). Includes images of the humanitarian and relief efforts.
• Photo and News archive of Dec 26 and March 28 Earthquakes (http://www.photoduck.com/pollyfodder) (Registered user)
• Humanity Ashore - from Sri Lanka (http://www.humanityashore.org)
• Asian tsunami photo/news archive updated 24/7 (http://www.photoduck.com/pollyfodder)

Flickr is a digital photo sharing website and web services suite. ...

Videos

• Large Collection of Amateur Tsunami Videos with Thunbnail Images and Detailed Descriptions (http://www.asiantsunamivideos.com/)
• Video Footage, Pictures, Clips And TV News Stories of the Tsunami (http://www.masternewmedia.org/2005/01/02/full_tsunami_video_footage_pictures.htm)
• Tsunami "In Your Memory" (http://www.optimodal.com/AsianTsunami.wmv)
• "275000"-"and Gaia shuddered" a PSA and memorial video (http://www.chrisvalentines.com/projects/tsunami.html)
• Tsunami Video Blog,updated daily (http://www.waveofdestruction.org/)
• New Video Compilations (May 2005) (http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1856&pxo=0Several)From the Tsunami Archive (Australia)

Forums and discussion

Sites to help family and friends locate missing loved ones are listed on the "Links to search for missing people" section of the "Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake" page. A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order – for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. ... A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order – for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. ...

• Condolence Book (http://www.ceneus.com/tsunami/) Offer your condolences to the victims of the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
• A discussion of "What causes Tsunamis" and how those concerned about or working on environmental issues can work to accurately describe the disaster. (http://blog.nodvin.net/index.php?p=69)
• Float a Lotus (http://special.bcz.com) A light hearted place to post thoughts and ease pain of the tragic event.
• Tsunami Disaster in Malaysia (http://tsunamipenang.blogspot.com) local news and updates on the tsunami disaster in Malaysia. Help locate missing or long lost friends.
• Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (http://www.tsunami2004-india.org) RRR site of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies
• International searchforum for tsunamimissing (http://www.tsunamiforum.org) India, Indonesia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Maledives, Thailand and other affected countries,