Search results
People also ask
How did the tsunami affect the Indian Ocean?
When was the Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004?
Did Sri Lanka get a tsunami?
May 4, 2024 · 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.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- What was the magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?The magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 was 9.1.
- What was the location of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This quake caused the Indian Ocean tsunami o...
- How long did the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 last?The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 lasted for seven hours and reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka,...
- How many people died in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand...
A massive tsunami with waves up to 30 m (100 ft) high, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami after the Boxing Day holiday, or as the Asian Tsunami, [10] devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
- 227,898 dead
- 9.1–9.3 '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000013-QINU`"'Mw
- Overview
- HISTORY Vault: America the Story of Us
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
The tsunami was the deadliest in recorded history, taking 230,000 lives in a matter of hours.
It was 2004, the day after Christmas, and thousands of European and American tourists had flocked to the beaches of Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to escape the winter chill in a tropical paradise.
At 7:59 AM, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake—one of the largest ever recorded—ripped through an undersea fault in the Indian Ocean, propelling a massive column of water toward unsuspecting shores. The Boxing Day tsunami would be the deadliest in recorded history, taking a staggering 230,000 lives in a matter of hours.
The city of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra was closest to the powerful earthquake’s epicenter and the first waves arrived in just 20 minutes. It’s nearly impossible to imagine the 100-foot roiling mountain of water that engulfed the coastal city of 320,000, instantly killing more than 100,000 men, women and children. Buildings folded like houses of cards, trees and cars were swept up in the oil-black rapids and virtually no one caught in the deluge survived.
1 / 8: AFP/Getty Images
Thailand was next. With waves traveling 500 mph across the Indian Ocean, the tsunami hit the coastal provinces of Phang Nga and Phuket an hour and a half later. Despite the time-lapse, locals and tourists were caught completely unaware of the imminent destruction. Curious beachgoers even wandered out among the oddly receding waves, only to be chased down by a churning wall of water. The death toll in Thailand was nearly 5,400 including 2,000 foreign tourists.
America The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented.
WATCH NOW
In the process, massive segments of the ocean floor were forced upward an estimated 30 or 40 meters (up to 130 feet). The effect was like dropping the world’s largest pebble in the Indian Ocean with ripples the size of mountains extending out in all directions.
Titov emphasizes that tsunamis look nothing like the giant surfing break-style waves that many of us imagine.
“It’s a wave, but from the observer’s standpoint, you wouldn’t recognize it as a wave,” Titov says. “It’s more like the ocean turns into a white water river and floods everything in its path.”
Once caught in the raging waters, if the currents don’t pull you under, the debris will finish the job.
Learn how a 9.1-magnitude earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 2004. See photos of the devastation in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and other countries.
- Dave Roos
Dec 23, 2014 · The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was one of the deadliest and most destructive in history, caused by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra. USGS scientists studied the tsunami impacts and deposits to improve tsunami hazard assessment and preparedness.
Dec 25, 2014 · A decade ago, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that swept away entire communities around the Indian Ocean. About 228,000...
Sep 25, 2023 · The tsunami’s waves traveled across the Indian Ocean at 500 mph, the speed of a jet plane. The 2004 Indonesia earthquake caused a shift in the earth’s mass, changing the planet’s rotation. Total material losses from the tsunami were estimated at $10 million.
Jun 12, 2023 · On December 26, 2004, an extremely powerful earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean generated a devastating tsunami. This tragic event raised awareness about the threat posed by tsunamis to coastal communities around the world and led to significant advances in tsunami detection, forecasting, warning ...
