2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South-west suburb of Banda Aceh, Sumatra. Taken on 2 January 2005 by US Navy
Location in Indian Ocean Show map of Indian Ocean Location in Southeast Asia Show map of Southeast Asia Location in Earth Show map of Earth
UTC time	2004-12-26 00:58:53
ISC event	7453151
USGS-ANSS	ComCat
Local date	26 December 2004 (2004-12-26)
Local time	07:28:53 UTC+61⁄2 07:58:53 UTC+7 08:58:53 UTC+8
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 / 3.316; 95.854
Type	Megathrust
Areas affected	Indian Ocean coastline areas
Max. intensity	IX (Violent)
Tsunami	15 to 30 m (50 to 100 ft); max. 51 m (167 ft)
Casualties	227,898 dead

The path of the tsunami, or the wave caused by an earthquake

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami was a very powerful underwater earthquake. It is also known as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake. This huge event happened on December 26, 2004, at 00:58:53 UTC.

The earthquake's starting point, called the epicenter, was off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Scientists first measured its strength as 9.0 on the Richter scale. Later, they updated it to a massive 9.3. This makes it one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in modern times. Only the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960 was more powerful.

This earthquake was also the longest ever recorded. It lasted between 500 and 600 seconds, which is about 8 to 10 minutes. It was so strong that it made the entire Earth vibrate. It even caused other earthquakes as far away as Alaska.

What Was the Asian Tsunami?

The huge movement of the Earth under the ocean caused a very large and powerful tsunami. A tsunami is a series of giant ocean waves. This one was often called the Asian tsunami. In some countries like Australia, Canada, England, and South Africa, it was known as the Boxing Day tsunami. This is because it happened on Boxing Day.

The tsunami spread across the entire Indian Ocean. It caused a lot of damage to many countries. These included Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. It also greatly affected the eastern coast of India, in states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The waves were incredibly high, some reaching up to 30 meters (100 feet). These powerful waves caused many deaths and destroyed a lot of buildings and other property. Over 227,898 people died or went missing because of the tsunami. The waves even caused high water as far away as East Africa. In South Africa, about 8,000 km (5,000 mi) away, 8 people died due to the high water.

Because of the huge amount of damage and the many people affected, over $7 billion (USD) was donated. This money helped to rebuild the areas that were damaged.

How Did the Tsunami Affect Nature?

Tsunami damage in Khao Lak, Thailand

Besides the terrible loss of human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami also had a huge impact on the environment. This impact will affect the region for many years. Reports showed severe damage to important ecosystems. These include mangroves, coral reefs, forests, and coastal wetlands.

Other natural areas like sand dunes and rock formations were also harmed. The variety of plants and animals, known as biodiversity, was affected. Even groundwater supplies were damaged. The spread of trash, chemicals, and water pollution made the environmental problems even worse. It will take a long time and a lot of effort to fully understand this damage.

Experts say that one of the main problems was the fresh water and soil becoming salty. This happened because saltwater from the ocean flowed inland and left a layer of salt on the land. Soil that becomes salty cannot grow plants easily. It is also very hard and expensive to make it good for farming again. This salt also causes plants and tiny living things in the soil to die. Thousands of rice, mango, and banana farms in Sri Lanka were almost completely destroyed. It will take years for them to recover.

What Was the Economic Impact?

Chennai's Marina Beach after the tsunami

The amount of damage to the economy from the tsunami depended on the area. Overall, the impact on entire countries was not as big. However, local economies in the affected areas were completely ruined. The two main jobs that suffered the most were fishing and tourism. Many fishing boats were destroyed, and tourist areas were badly damaged.

Images for kids

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  Epicenter and associated aftershocks

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  Initial earthquake and aftershocks measuring greater than 4.0 M_w 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

See also

In Spanish: Terremoto del océano Índico de 2004 para niños