Earthquake and Tsunami

Kevin Gwinn and Kari Schumacher

A Brief History

• Subduction Zone• India and Burma Plates

• 10 years before tsunami, 40 events larger than magnitude 5.5 in the area but no tsunami

• Past 200 years several earthquakes greater than magnitude 8 generated moderate-sized tsunami

http://www.andaman.org/mapstsunami/tsunami.htm

December 26, 2004

• Magnitude 9.1 earthquake • Shook for as much as 8

minutes• Offset on the thrust

plane was approximately 15 meters with the sea floor rising several meters

• Subduction zone broke, extending north over about 1,200 km of its length

http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/tectonicLG.jpg

Tsunami

• Waves rose to 10 or more meters above normal sea level (>700 km/hr)

• Wave receded into the trough before the next wave

http://img442.imageshack.us/i/tsunami2004kb2.jpg/Video

Aftermath, Immediately after

• Initial estimated death toll was 300,000

• An estimated 1,000,000 displaced

Aftermath, Months later

• Death toll adjusted to 169,752 with 127,294 missing due to tsunami• Many other deaths due to disease and damage to infrastructure

Meulaboh Indonesia, Before Tsunami

Meulaboh Indonesia, 3 weeks after Tsunami

Meulaboh IndonesiaBefore Tsunami

Meulaboh Indonesia3 weeks after Tsunami

Cleanup Efforts

• Humanitarian effort from around the world raised over $7 billion

• Some small villages were never rebuilt, or were claimed completely by the sea

• Most coastal towns have recovered and show few signs of a major disaster only 5 years

http://csulb.edu/~mmercad2/cecs200/travel/assets/images/tsunami.jpg

Current Conditions• Wide spread destruction was never rebuilt in some areas• Large amounts of sediment have essentially destroyed farmland even 5 years after the event• Even with humanitarian aid, many of the 3rd world

countries were unable to rebuild and are still suffering Picture of Aceh

Indonesia before 2004 Tsunami (left) and Aceh Indonesia in November 2008 (right)

Actions Taken

• Education program for affected countries

• Increased awareness of the dangers of tsunamis

• Changes in technology and warning systems

• Recent Samoa tsunami is an example

http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/transformations/tsunami/image6_220.jpg

Bibliography