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Tsunami

A magnitude 9 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in 2004 triggered a devastating tsunami that killed over 230,000 people across 13 countries in the Indian Ocean region. The earthquake displaced a huge volume of water, generating waves up to 30 meters high. Countries lacked warning systems and many coastal areas saw massive destruction of homes, fishing fleets, infrastructure, and environmental damage from saltwater inundation. Responses included immediate search and rescue as well as long-term rebuilding of infrastructure, housing, and small businesses over subsequent years.

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72 views10 pages

Tsunami

A magnitude 9 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in 2004 triggered a devastating tsunami that killed over 230,000 people across 13 countries in the Indian Ocean region. The earthquake displaced a huge volume of water, generating waves up to 30 meters high. Countries lacked warning systems and many coastal areas saw massive destruction of homes, fishing fleets, infrastructure, and environmental damage from saltwater inundation. Responses included immediate search and rescue as well as long-term rebuilding of infrastructure, housing, and small businesses over subsequent years.

Uploaded by

VEDANSHIBEN BHATT
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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TSUNAMI

CASE STUDY
WHAT IS TSUMANI AND CAUSES

• A tsunami is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a


large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. 
• The principal generation mechanism of a tsunami is the displacement of a
substantial volume of water or perturbation of the sea. This displacement of
water is usually caused by earthquakes, but can also be attributed to landslides,
volcanic eruptions, glacier calvings or more rarely by meteorites and nuclear
tests. However, the possibility of a meteorite causing a tsunami is debated.
• On Sunday 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9 earthquake occurred off
the West Coast of Northern Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. This caused the
Indian Ocean tsunami that affected 13 countries and killed approximately
230,000 people.
• there was a massive and sudden movement of the Earth’s crust under the
Indian Ocean. This earthquake was recorded at magnitude 9 on
the Richter Scale and as it happened under the ocean, caused a
devastating sea wave called a tsunami.
• The epicentre of the earthquake occurred 200 kilometres west of the
island of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. 
•  At 08:00 local time, the pressure build-up was too great and the crustal
rocks snapped, causing an earthquake.
• When this happened the sea floor was pushed upwards, displacing a
huge volume of water and creating the devastating tsunami waves.
• This tsunami was particularly devastating because:
• The earthquake which caused the tsunami was magnitude 9.
• The epicentre was very close to some densely populated coastal communities, eg Indonesia.
They had little or no warning. The only sign came just before the tsunami struck when the
waterline suddenly retreated, exposing hundreds of metres of beach and seabed.
• There was no Indian Ocean tsunami warning system in place. This could have saved more people
in other countries further away from the epicentre.
• Many of the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean are LEDCs so they could not afford to
spend much on preparation and prevention.
• In some coastal areas, mangrove forests had been removed to make way for tourist
developments and therefore there was less natural protection.
SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE TSUNAMI

• 230 000 deaths.


• 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.
ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF TSUNAMI

• Ports ruined.
• Fishing industry devastated - boats, nets and equipment destroyed. An
estimated 60% of Sri Lanka’s fishing fleet destroyed.
• Reconstruction cost billions of dollars.
• Loss of earnings from tourism - foreign visitors to Phuket dropped 80% in
2005.
• Communications damaged, eg roads, bridges and rail networks.
ENVIROMENTAL IMPACTS OF
TSUNAMI

• Crops destroyed.
• Farm land ruined by salt water.
• 8 million litres of oil escaped from oil plants in Indonesia.
• Mangrove forests along the coast were destroyed.
• Coral reefs and coastal wetlands damaged.
RESPONSES

• Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and local


authorities typically
have immediate and secondary responses to devastation of
this kind.
• Immediate responses Secondary responses
•Re-building and improving infrastructure and housing.

• Search and rescue. •Providing jobs and supporting small businesses.


• Emergency food and water. •Giving advice and technical assistance.
Responses to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami can also be divided into short and long term:
• Medical care.
• Temporary shelter.
• Re-establishing infrastructure and communications.
• Short-term responses
• In many areas local communities were cut off and had to help themselves.
• The authorities ordered quick burial or burning of the dead to avoid the spread of disease.
• Food aid was provided to millions of people, eg from the World Food Programme.
• $7 billion (just under £4.5billion) of aid was promised by foreign governments - but there were complaints that not all money
pledged was given.
• The British public gave £330 million through charities, eg the average Actionaid donation was £84 - their best ever response.
• Long-term responses
• Reconstruction is still taking place.
• International scale: an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system has now been set up.
• Local scale: some small-scale sustainable development projects have been set up by charities to aid recovery and help local
people help themselves to rebuild and set up small businesses.

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