It was a powerful megathrust quake, occurring where a heavy ocean plate slips under a lighter continental plate. The quake caused the ocean floor to suddenly rise by as much as 40 meters, triggering a massive tsunami.
What caused the Sumatra earthquake 2004?
Details of Tsunami Generation. The tsunami from the 2004 M=9.1 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake was primarily caused by vertical displacement of the seafloor, in response to slip on the inter-plate thrust fault (see Tectonics section above).
What damage did the Boxing Day tsunami cause?
The Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 is the deadliest and most destructive tsunami in recorded history, claiming the lives of over 230,000 people in 14 different countries and damaging over 14 billion US dollars worth of property.
Was the 2004 tsunami predicted?
Unfortunately it isn’t possible to predict exactly when a tsunami may strike a coastal area, but there are clues that can save lives. The Indonesian authorities in this case did issue a tsunami warning via text message, but the earthquake destroyed many cellphone towers.
What two plates caused the 2004 tsunami?
On 26 December 2004 a tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean. It was the result of the Indio-Australian Plate subducting below the Eurasian Plate. It was caused by an earthquake measuring more than magnitude 9. The earthquake caused the seafloor to uplift, displacing the seawater above.
How did the 2004 tsunami affect humans?
Social impacts of the tsunami (effects on people) 1.7 million homeless. 5-6 million needing emergency aid, eg food and water. Threat of disease from mixing of fresh water, sewage and salt water. 1,500 villages destroyed in northern Sumatra.
What caused the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia?
On December 26, 2004, at 7:59 am local time, an undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Over the next seven hours, a tsunami—a series of immense ocean waves—triggered by the quake reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas as far away as East Africa.
How many people died in the Sumatra Tsunami?
The wave killed tens of thousands of people and severely damaged the country’s northern, eastern, and southern coastal areas. The most destructive tsunami ever recorded occurred on December 26, 2004, after an earthquake displaced the seabed off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.
How many people died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami?
How many people died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami? Nearly 230,000 people died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, making it one of the deadliest disasters in modern history.
What is the most destructive tsunami in history?
earthquake: Tsunamis. The most destructive tsunami ever recorded occurred on December 26, 2004, after an earthquake displaced the seabed off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.
