The tsunami, which hit Dec. 26, 2004 in southern Asia, is being called one of the "worst natural disasters in modern history" by many newspapers. The tsunami was caused by an earthquake, which sent waves crashing into the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and several other countries. Waves got up to 50 feet high.
Click one of the following links to learn more about the tsunami and its effects:
- Tsunami Characteristics
- Survivors and authorities tell their tales
- Next target: USA?
- How to help
Tsunami Characteristics The tsunami earthquake's epicenter occurred under water about 100 miles west of Sumatra, 18.6 miles below sea level. The earthquake was reported as being a 9.0 on the richter scale.
The specific earthquake is called a megathrust meaning that it "is an interplate earthquake where one tectonic plate slips beneath (subducts) another. Due to the size of the tectonic plates and the shallow dip of the plate boundary, these earthquakes are among the world's largest," according to a
Wikipedia article.
The earthquake occurred between two fault lines when "50 miles of faultline slipped 60 feet along the subduction zone where the India Plate dives under the Burma Plate," according to a
Wikipedia article.
Tsunamis are not much different from normal waves seen in things as small as a cup of water. "Tsunamis are just ordinary water waves and comply with the same physics as waves in your coffee cup or bathtub. However, because they are generated by geophysical forces, they also carry geophysical energy and momentum levels which can be devastating," according to an
FluidMech article.
To see an animation of the tsunami, click
here.
Survivors and authorities tell their tales The tsunami left disaster in its wake, but even in these difficult times, survivors find hope and motivation. This is a collection of inspirational tales compiled from a variety of news sources.
- Sri Lankan-born missionary and former Gaithersburg resident Dayalan Sanders's children's orphanage in Navalady, Sri Lanka was hit by the tsunami's tidal waves. In a stroke of luck, he managed to start a usually troublesome outboard motor and successfully evacuate the children, his staff and his family. The orphanage was destroyed, but everyone survived.
Sanders is a U.S. citizen; his mother and sisters live in Gaithersburg. He moved to Switzerland in the 1980s and founded a missionary group. He later helped resolve a fight between Sri Lankan government officials and Tamil refugees. In 1994, Sanders moved to a small fishing village, Navalady, and founded the Samaritan Children's Home.
On Dec. 26, Sanders was with his family and the orphans at the orphanage when the tsunami began its assault. He rushed everyone out to the motorboat, where they braved the waves while watching the tsunami destroy their home.
"Outracing the sea, orphans in his care" from The Washington Post
- Melawati, 23, was swept into the tsunami from her home in Sumatra, Indonesia. She survived for five days by clinging to a floating sago palm tree and living off of its fruit and bark. A Malaysian tuna ship found her on Dec. 31 floating in the ocean, and took her back to shore for medical treatment.
"Survivors emerge a week after tsunami" from The Washington Post
- Stranded in open water by a dead engine, four Indonesian fishermen were dragged out into the ocean by the tsunami. A reconnaissance helicopter found them nine days later near the Indian archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar in a "wooden dinghy", according to Anil K. Pokhariyal, commander of the Indian coast guard ship that rescued them.
"Survivors emerge a week after tsunami" from The Washington Post
- Philip, a 9-year-old-boy from Kazakhstan, survived by putting tubes in his nose to help him breathe and clinging to a drifting mattress. He and his brother survived, but the rest of the family perished.
"Miracle child survivors of the tsunami" from MSNBC
- A 5-year-old Swedish girl claimed she was sucked up by the tsunami and ended up on a hillside, unconscious. She was eventually returned to her family.
"Miracle child survivors of the tsunami" from MSNBC
- A Thai princess called in favors to save 18-month-old Swede Hannes Bergman, who was left in a pile of rubble by the tsunami. He was reunited with his father at a local hospital, but unfortunately his mother is still listed as missing. The princess also lost her son.
"Miracle child survivors of the tsunami" from MSNBC
- High-school sweethearts Jimmy and Crystal Anderson survived the tsunami that flooded their beachside house in Phuket, Thailand by swimming out the door, grabbing onto floating chair cushions, and climbing up a tree to safety. The American couple will soon be returning home.
"Loved ones of missing wait, hope" from USA Today
- Almesh Javed, a 10-year-old Indian girl on the Nicobar Islands and a member of the Nicobarese tribal group, survived four days alone in the jungle, living off of berries and coconuts. Her parents and sister were washed away by the tsunami. She walked several miles to a local hospital, and was reunited with her grandparents.
"Sumatran woman survives 5 days adrift in ocean" from The Los Angeles Times
Next target: USA? The tsunami in Asia was caused by an earthquake. But, as scientists found out in the 1950's, some of the even more devastating earthquakes can be caused by landslides and have the potential to affect America's eastern coastline.
According to a
BBC article, the ideal conditions for such a landslide to cause a Tsunami to hit the US exists in the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa.
Although this may seem like an incredible distance for a wave to travel, scientists say that the waves "could still be as much as 50 meters high, for example, when they reach the east coast of the United States" said the same article.
"It's almost inconceivable how much damage this event will cause, and yet the general public knows absolutely nothing about it," said Professor Bill McGuire from the Hazard Research Centre in a
BBC interview.
Dr. Simon Day from the Hazard Research Centre said in a BBC interview that "the east coast of America is, is the worst place this could happen. It's not some remote, deserted coastline; it's one of the most densely populated places in the world."
Scientists also predict that the effects could be much more destructive than any other tsunami's in the past. It "will be almost inconceivably destructive, far bigger than anything ever witnessed in modern times. It will surge across the entire Atlantic in a matter of hours, engulfing the whole US east coast, sweeping away everything in its path up to 20 km inland. Boston would be hit first, followed by New York, then all the way down the coast to Miami and the Caribbean," the BBC article said.
There is nothing that can be done to prevent the landslide from occurring but "scientists point out there is a lot that can be done to prevent loss of life when a collapse does eventually happen," according to the BBC article.
But don't start packing your bags to move to Kansas quite yet. The tsunami "is likely to happen any time within the next few thousand years" and it "will not happen without any warning," the article said.
Click
here to view pictures of the Tsunami's devastating effects.
How to help The tsunami left over 159,000 dead, 18,000 missing and 1.5 million homeless in its wake. The death toll continues to rise as thousands of bodies continue to be found.
The effects of the tsunami have left many countries and organizations pouring money into ravaged countries. The U.S. has pledged to contribute around $350 million to the countries.
Those who would like to contribute to the effort can do so through one of the following organizations:
