2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami facts for kids
- 2004 Indian Ocean
- earthquake and tsunami
Quick facts for kids 
South-west suburb of Banda Aceh, Sumatra. Taken on 2 January 2005 by US Navy
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 Location in Indian Ocean
Location in Southeast Asia
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Location in Earth
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| UTC time | 2004-12-26 00:58:53 |
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| ISC event | 7453151 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 26 December 2004 |
| Local time | |
| Magnitude | 9.1–9.3 Mw |
| Depth | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Epicentre | 3°18′58″N 95°51′14″E / 3.316°N 95.854°E |
| Type | Megathrust |
| Areas affected | Indian Ocean coastline areas |
| Max. intensity | IX (Violent) |
| Tsunami |
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| Casualties | 227,898 dead |
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, also called the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was a great underwater earthquake. It happened at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) December 26, 2004.
The epicenter of the earthquake was off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. At first, the earthquake was measured as a 9.0 on the Richter scale. Later, scientists said it was as high as a 9.3. In modern times, only the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960 has been more powerful. The Indian Ocean earthquake was the longest ever recorded. It lasted between 500 (8.3 minutes) and 600 (10 minutes) seconds. It was so powerful that it caused the entire Earth to vibrate. It started other earthquakes as far away as Alaska.
The Asian tsunami
The large movement of earth under the water caused a very large and powerful tsunami. The tsunami was called the Asian tsunami, or the Boxing Day tsunami in Australia, Canada, England, and South Africa because it happened on Boxing Day. It spread all over the Indian Ocean. The tsunami caused heavy damage to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. It also devastated the eastern coast of India, such as the states of Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
Waves as high as 30m (100ft) killed many people and damaged or destroyed a lot of buildings and other property.
Over 227,898 people died or were not found after the tsunami. The wave did damage in East Africa as far away as South Africa (8000km/ 5000mi) where as many as 8 people died because of high water caused by the wave. Because of how much damage was caused and the number of people the earthquake affected, over $7 billion (USD) was donated to help rebuild the areas damaged.
Environmental impact
Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake has caused an enormous environmental impact that will affect the region for many years to come. It has been reported that severe damage has been inflicted on ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests, coastal wetlands, vegetation, sand dunes and rock formations, animal and plant biodiversity and groundwater. Also, the spread of solid and liquid waste and industrial chemicals, water pollution and the destruction of sewage collectors and treatment plants threaten the environment even further, in untold ways. The environmental impact will take a long time and significant resources to assess.
According to specialists, the main effect is being caused by poisoning of the freshwater supplies and of the soil by saltwater infiltration and a deposit of a salt layer over arable land. Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for agriculture. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. Thousands of rice, mango, and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely and will take years to recover.
Economic impact
The level of damage to the economy resulting from the tsunami depends on the scale examined. While the overall impact on the national economies was minor, local economies were devastated. The two main occupations affected by the tsunami were fishing and tourism.
Images for kids
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Epicenter and associated aftershocks
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Initial earthquake and aftershocks measuring greater than 4.0 Mw from 26 December 2004 to 10 January 2005
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Vertical-component ground motions recorded by the Global Seismographic Network and displayed by the IRIS Consortium
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Seismic moment release of the largest earthquakes from 1906 to 2005
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The tsunami's propagation took 5 hours to reach Western Australia, 7 hours to reach the Arabian Peninsula, and did not reach the South African coast until nearly 11 hours after the earthquake
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Average height of the waves
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Maximum recession of tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach at 10:25 a.m., prior to the third—and strongest—tsunami wave
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Tsunami inundation height can be seen on a house in Banda Aceh
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Apung 1, a 2,600-ton vessel, was flung some 2 km (1.2 mi) to 3 km (1.9 mi) inland. In the years following the disaster, it became a local tourist attraction and has remained where it came to rest.
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Overturned cement carrier in Lhoknga
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Baiturrahim Mosque survived the tsunami in Ulee Lheue, banda Aceh
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Fishing boat stranded in Batticaloa
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Thai Navy boat stranded almost 2 km (1.2 mi) inland
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Tree stumps and debris remain on Karaikal beach several years after the 2004 tsunami
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Destruction in Chennai
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Flooding in George Town, Malaysia
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Countries affected
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Tsunami inundation in Khao Lak, Thailand
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Chennai's Marina Beach after the tsunami
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Tsunami aftermath in Aceh, Indonesia
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Patong Beach in Thailand after the tsunami
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See also
In Spanish: Terremoto del océano Índico de 2004 para niños
