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The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Photo by Philip A. McDaniel.

Top 10 Facts about the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

The earthquake under the Indian Ocean caused a tsunami to flood the Coast of Sumatra Island in Indonesia causing hundreds of thousands of death. The famous Boxing Day tsunami occurred on December 26^th, 2004 while people were in the festive season celebrating the previous day which was Christmas. The tsunami is remembered as one of the most devastating in the history of recent tsunamis considering the number of deaths that were recorded at the end of the calamity. The quake that led to the tsunami was also recorded as the strongest quake in history by scientists. The tsunami lasted for several hours spreading from the coastline to the interior parts of the country. Several livestock, houses, property, and infrastructure were destroyed during the tsunami. The effects of the 2004 tsunami are still felt today as people are scared to death when they remember that day.

Below are the top 10 facts about the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami:

1. What was the Cause of the Tsunami?

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Photo by Philip A. McDaniel.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was a result of an under-the-sea earthquake that shook the floor of the seat resulting in a tsunami. The undersea earthquake was strong enough to set off a tsunami that spread across the Coast of Sumatra Island. Reportedly, the tsunami earthquake is recorded as the strongest in history as compared to Hiroshima atomic bomb. Scientists claim that the shockwaves caused by the earthquake were equated to more than twenty thousand atomic bombs that devastated the city of Hiroshima. The quake recorded the highest figure in the history of earthquakes on the Richter scale. Therefore the tsunami was a result of the dangerous undersea earthquake.

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2. The Earthquake Recorded 9.1 Magnitude On The Richter Scale

The Boxing Day tsunami was caused by the strongest earthquake in the history of tsunamis and earthquakes as recorded by scientists. The quake recorded a magnitude of more than 9 on the Richter scale which is the highest figure to be recorded in history. The earthquake sent shockwaves that spread to a radius of more than 160 kilometers affecting every city and town in the radius. Scientists compared the quake to several atomic bombs put together because the tsunami spread on a large area killing people and destroying property.

3. The Tectonic Plates Collided Under The Sea Causing Enormous Shockwaves

Scientists record that the shockwaves that spread to the coastline were a result of a heavy collision between the two oceanic plates. The tectonic plates under the Indian Ocean and the Burma plate collided beneath the sea as a result of the earthquake. The waves from the collision moved for more than five thousand kilometers in all directions creating an earthquake of the highest magnitude. The fast-moving Indian plate met the Burma plate at the Sunda trench colliding, as the Indian plate goes under the Burma plate. A few minutes later, the submerging Indian plate leads to changes in temperature, which scientists suggest caused a rise in the sea floor leading to flooding of the coastline.

4. The Tsunami Killed More Than 200,000 People And Destroyed Property 

Tsunami inundation height can be seen on a house in Banda Aceh. Photo by Michael L. Bak.

Several nations on the coastline were affected and people’s lives were taken, including more than 150,000 in Indonesia. The country is the closest to the epicenter of the tsunami and therefore it was the most affected, with more than half a million houses being carried by the water. The tsunami claimed more than 200,000 people within a short period and was recorded as the most devastating calamity in recent history. The tsunami did not spare infrastructure, or nature because it carried both buildings, property, and animals. Several coral reefs along the coast were destroyed by the tsunami leaving the land unattractive.

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5. The Environment Along The Beach Became Uglier After The Tsunami

Photo courtesy of USGS.

The 2004 tsunami spread over a long distance sending shockwaves that not only killed hundreds of thousands of people but also destroyed property and damaged the natural environment. The Indian Ocean belt had beautiful beaches and sceneries that people enjoyed viewing on a normal day. The tsunami destroyed these habitable places including almost fresh water and 20 coral reef in the Maldives. The fresh water in the region was destroyed as salt water was deposited in the region changing the face of the region, and making the environment salty.

6. The Early Signs and Warnings Before the Tsunami That Should Have Been Take Into Account

Tsunamis are predicted by the occurrence of frequent earthquakes on the land next to water bodies. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami would have killed fewer people if they had listened to the early warnings and signs. Indonesia is a place where earthquakes are frequent and therefore tsunamis should be expected at the coastal lines of the nation. Furthermore, there were some warnings before the tsunami such as the sea receding leaving an open coast. Unfortunately, children and some adults saw the disappearing of the ocean as an opportunity to go and collect stranded fish. They walked as deep as 3 kilometers deep into the sea before they got stranded and succumbed when the tsunami hit. Some tsunami specialists saw the disappearing sea as a warning and warned the people living on the coast, saving a few lives of those who listened. However, many died because they failed to listen to the warnings.

7. The Tsunami Changed the Shape of the Planet and Altered the Length of Day And Night

According to research done in the recent past, the 2004 earthquake that caused the tsunami led to a change in the mass of the earth resulting in a shift in the movement of the planet. Ordinarily, the planet moves in the opposite direction to the sun at a constant speed. However, after the 2004 earthquake, the planes changed in shape because the massive amount of weight was shifted from the original location. Statistics show that the earthquake led to decreased length of a day by reducing and increasing the speed at which the earth rotates. Ultimately, the North Pole was also shifted by a few centimeters as a result of the earthquake that led to a tsunami. Therefore, the shape of the earth was modified slightly, causing changes in the earth’s rotation.

8. The Original Shockwaves Bred Subsequent Earthquakes that Damaged the Coastline

Maximum recession of tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach. Photo courtesy of

Several aftershocks were reported after the eruption of the undersea earthquake causing subsequent earthquakes in the nearby cities. The Indian Ocean earthquake that had a magnitude of 9 caused minor earthquakes, some measuring as high as 6 on the Richter scale. These shockwaves continued for hours and even days destroying the region near the epicenter of the original earthquake. Although the subsequent earthquakes were minor, they weakened the region and the coastline making the place vulnerable to earthquakes in the future. There was an earthquake in 2005 originating from the Coast of Sumatran Island which was believed to have been the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The region remains weak to date as earthquakes are common in the nations neighboring the island.

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9. Indonesia Was the Most Affected Country By The Tsunami

Tsunami 2004 aftermath. Aceh, Indonesia, Photo by AusAID.

Indonesian cities were the most affected by the tsunami because of their proximity to the coastline. Banda Aceh is the closest to the coast and the nearest to the epicenter of the earthquake. Therefore the city suffered major casualties a few minutes after the eruption of the earthquake because people did not have enough time to vacate the area. The eyewitnesses explain that the sea had receded deep prompting children and a few adults to venture into the coast to collect fish and other sea creatures for food. Suddenly, there were huge water waves that covered the people who were never seen again. The waves proceeded to the Indonesian coastline destroying villages and islands adjacent to the coast such as Pulau Weh, and Breueh Island. Meulaboh was another Indonesian city that was hit hard by the tsunami because it is half a kilometer from the epicenter of the earthquake. The city was destroyed because of the subsequent waves that followed the first shockwave.

10. The Tsunami Crossed Boarders Destroying Nations Across The Ocean

Photo courtesy of USGS.

The effects of the Indian Ocean tsunami were not only felt in the nearby nations and cities but also thousands of kilometers away from Sumatran Island. Some of the countries affected are Thailand, Srilanka, India, Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar, Tanzania, Kenya, and other nations along the coast of the Indian Ocean. These nations’ accumulated casualties rose to more than 200,000 deaths with more than 1.7 million people displaced from their homes. The tsunami affected people in different ways including health effects on the survivor. People have lived with psychological trauma after witnessing the shocking tsunami consuming hundreds of thousands of people in a few months.

The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in the Indian Ocean is recorded as the most devastating in recent history because of the high magnitude of the earthquake recorded. The tsunami was a result of the undersea earthquake causing the collision of the oceanic plates which led to the rise of the sea level flooding the coast. The tsunami led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people, and more than a million others displaced from their homes.