Newsmedianews | Sumatra Tsunami

The Sumatra Tsunami
Could such loss of life have been avoided?

Moment of impact -caught on film by a holidaymaker

The Tsunami approaching Thailand, pic taken at Krabi

Left: seemingly unaware of the great risk and danger it presents, beach users watch the killer wave approach the shore

Blog related material

"This is the largest earthquake in the world since a magnitude 9.2 earthquake struck Alaska in 1964 at Prince William Sound. Similar great earthquakes struck in Chile 1960 (magnitude 9.4) and Alaska 1957 (magnitude 9.1)."
source: http://www.quakes.bgs.ac.uk/latest_info.htm

The global geological seismic centre in Edinburgh, Scotland maintains a database of seismic activity around the globe that is updated on a minute by minute basis.

Scientific background to the Sumatra Tsunami [http://iri.columbia.edu/~lareef/tsunami/]

Below are the recorded details for 26 December 2004, taken from the website at http://tsunami.geo.ed.ac.uk/local-bin/quakes/mapscript/home.pl/

As will be seen, the powerful 9.0 earthquake at just before 1am on 26 December was followed by no less than six more earthquakes all within 17 hours and of no less than magnitude 5.6. Two of the earthquakes following the initial shock at 0058hrs are classified as ‘main shocks’.

The aftershocks continued throughout the 27, 28 and 29 of December with a 6.3 main shock occurring at 9.39am on 27 December.

Please note that due to an existing server error at the earthquake monitoring station and website http://tsunami.geo.ed.ac.uk/ the links below are inoperative (Monday, 2 January, 2006 2:17 PM)

Date

Time

Lat

Long

Mag

Type

Shock Type

Flinn-Engdahl Region

Aftershocks

26th December 2004

00:58

3.30N

95.78E

9.0

Mainshock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

26th December 2004

01:48

5.39N

94.42E

5.9

Mainshock

Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

26th December 2004

02:34

4.10N

94.18E

5.8

Aftershock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

26th December 2004

02:59

3.18N

94.26E

5.9

Aftershock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

26th December 2004

13:56

2.79N

94.46E

5.9

Aftershock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

26th December 2004

15:06

3.70N

94.02E

5.7

Mainshock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

26th December 2004

19:03

4.07N

94.20E

5.6

Aftershock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

27th December 2004

06:59

3.01N

95.54E

5.4

Aftershock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

27th December 2004

09:39

5.38N

94.71E

6.3

Mainshock

Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

27th December 2004

20:10

2.86N

95.59E

5.8

Aftershock

Off W Coast of Northern Sumatra

28th December 2004

11:17

4.71N

95.18E

5.9

Aftershock

Off W coast of Northern Sumatra

29th December 2004

21:12

5.20N

94.71E

5.7

Aftershock

Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Below is a list of subsequent earthquakes since 28 December, taken from the US geological earthquake database survey website, showing a further series of powerful tremors in the Indian Ocean region.

Date | Time | Description of Location | Magnitude | Depth | Quality | Station
28th December 2004
19:55 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.4 M 30.0 (Good)
20:34 WESTERN TURKEY 4.5 M 10.0 (Good)
21:07 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS 5.8 M 251.4 (N/A )
21:47 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.5 M 9.5 (Fair)
29th December 2004
01:39 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.8 M 30.0 (N/A )
01:50 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 6.1 M 24.9 (N/A )
05:56 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 6.2 M 30.0 (Good)
13:20 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN 5.7 M 7.7 (Fair)
13:58 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAP 5.0 M 54.8 (Good)
17:25 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 2.9 M 2.5 (N/A ) NC
18:50 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.6 M 38.6 (Good)
19:32 NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE 4.8 M 10.0 (N/A )
21:12 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.7 M 25.8 (Good)
30th December 2004
01:04 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATR 5.6 M 12.7 (Fair)
01:37 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 3.3 M 32.9 (N/A ) NC
04:27 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.5 M 30.8 (Fair)
06:38 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 4.9 M 35.3 (Good)
09:40 SEA OF JAPAN 4.6 M 361.4 (Good)
13:29 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAP 5.1 M 70.7 (Good)
15:02 NORTHERN COLOMBIA 4.8 M 50.5 (Good)
17:58 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.7 M 30.0 (Good)
2nd January 2005
08:27 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATR 5.9 M 8.4 (Good)
11:01 KAMCHATKA PENINSULA, RUSSIA 4.3 M 161.5 (Good)
12:12 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.4 M 21.4 (N/A )
15:35 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 6.3 M 30.0 (Good)
18:23 MOLUCCA SEA 5.4 M 29.6 (Fair)
20:58 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO 4.0 M 33.3 (N/A ) PAS
21:04 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 2.9 M 6.9 (N/A ) NC
3rd January 2005
06:24 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFOR 3.0 M 21.6 (N/A ) NC
06:33 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 2.7 M 3.0 (N/A ) NC
09:14 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.0 M 23.1 (Fair)
17:00 KURIL ISLANDS 4.9 M 41.3 (Good)
17:59 NORTH OF MACQUARIE ISLAND 6.1 M 10.0 (N/A )
21:44 SOUTHERN GREECE 4.5 M 116.8 (N/A )
4th January 2005
02:04 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATR 4.9 M 30.0 (Fair)
09:13 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 6.0 M 24.7 (Good)
12:15 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.1 M 30.0 (Good)
12:56 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.2 M 30.0 (Fair)
18:26 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATR 5.6 M 53.1 (Good)
19:08 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.4 M 30.0 (Good)
19:14 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.8 M 10.0 (Good)
19:58 COMOROS REGION 5.2 M 10.0 (Fair)
5th January 2005
11:15 FIJI REGION 4.8 M 599.4 (Good)
11:59 TONGA 4.6 M 10.0 (Fair)
12:31 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.2 M 10.2 (Fair)
13:28 NEAR ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS 4.4 M 95.5 (Good)
14:06 MADAGASCAR 4.7 M 10.0 (Fair)
14:34 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.5 M 30.0 (Good)
14:54 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.8 M 41.2 (Good)
6th January 2005
00:02 REVILLA GIGEDO ISLANDS REGION 5.7 M 68.1 (Good)
00:04 REVILLA GIGEDO ISLANDS REGION 5.2 M 50.0 (Good)
00:11 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATR 5.5 M 40.0 (Good)
00:29 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.4 M 21.9 (Fair)
00:56 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA 5.7 M 42.9 (Good)
03:28 SOUTH OF AFRICA 5.5 M 10.0 (Fair)
04:52 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.3 M 10.0 (Good)
07:54 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION 5.2 M 118.6 (Good)
10:14 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS 4.8 M 37.9 (Good)
12:11 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA 3.6 M 4.6 (N/A ) PAS
13:00 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION 5.2 M 65.5 (Good)
14:19 MYANMAR 4.7 M 38.7 (Good)
14:22 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA 3.3 M 4.5 (N/A ) PAS
14:35 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA 4.4 M 4.2 (N/A ) PAS
The data displayed above reflect the contents of the USGS earthquake database
World-Wide Earthquake Locator © Bruce M. Gittings, 1994-1999

What is certain is that numerous seismic monitoring stations around the globe would have been aware of the magnitude 9 earthquake off the Sumatra coast as it was occurring. It is incomprehensible that such awareness would not have immediately triggered the realisation that a dangerous tsunami was inevitable.

So just what did happen? There are vague and confusing reports indicating that the Indian army and air force knew of the tsunami. There may be no functioning early warning networks to notify in the Indian Ocean region, but the whole area is covered by network radio and television and satellite communications, in addition to other radio communications networks.

So why was the alarm not raised in sufficient manner to allow coastal inhabitants the opportunity to seek safer ground, or for the island inhabitants of the region to at least prepare themselves against the danger as best possible?

The immense scale of the tragedy followed by the massive publicity and the huge aid programs swinging into place appear to have for the moment at least overshadowed questions relating to the lack of sufficient warnings to the threatened regions. Yet as the weeks go by—indeed it will take years for many of the regions to begin to recover fully from the devastation—strong questions are sure to remain regarding the levels of warnings preceding the tsunami.

Disaster Appeal Aid Links

Recorded loss of life

Country where deaths occurred	Deaths		Injured	Missing	Displaced
Country where deaths occurred	Confirmed	Estimated	Injured	Missing	Displaced
Indonesia	166,320	172,565	~100,000	6,245	~617,000
Sri Lanka	38,195	—	15,686	23,000+	~573,000
India	10,744	16,413	—	5,669	380,000
Thailand	5,305	11,000	8,457	4,499	—
Somalia	150+	298	—	—	5,000
Myanmar (Burma)	59	2,500	45	7,000	3,200 confirmed
Malaysia	68 74	—	299	—	—
Maldives	82	—	—	26	12,000 22,000
Seychelles	1 3	—	—	—	—
Tanzania	10	10+	—	—	—
Bangladesh	2	—	—	—	—
South Africa	2	—	—	—	—
Kenya	1	2	—	—	—
Yemen	1	—	—	—	—
Madagascar	—	—	—	—	1,000+
Total	220,940+	~240,000	~125,000	~40,000	~1.5 million

Source:Wikipedia