Deck 6c - Tectonics: Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami

Question 1

What year was the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami?

Answer 1

2004, Boxing Day

Question 2

What hazards were caused by the Sumatra, Indonesia earthquake?

Answer 2

Ground shaking in nearby areas and a large scale tsunami

Question 3

What type of plate boundary is Indonesia on and which tectonic plates are involved?

Answer 3

Destructive plate boundary- Indian and Eurasian plates

Question 4

Why is Indonesia prone to earthquakes and tsunamis?

(FREQUENCY)

Answer 4

The Indian plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian plate off the coast of Sumatra. This caused an earthquake with a sub-marine epicentre which triggered a tsunami. Tsunamis are infrequent in this area.

Question 5

What magnitude was the Indonesian earthquake and what depth did it occur at?

(MAGNITUDE)

Answer 5

9.1 MMS, shallow focus

Question 6

What was the duration of the Indonesian earthquake?

(DURATION)

Answer 6

The earthquake lasted around 10 minutes.

Question 7

What signs were there before the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami occurred?

(PREDICTABILITY)

Answer 7

There was no tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean so they were unable to predict it.

Question 8

What area did the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami impact?

(AREAL EXTENT)

Answer 8

14 countries were affected.

Question 9

How quickly did the Indonesian earthquake occur?
(SPEED OF ONSET)

Answer 9

It took 15 to 30 minutes for the tsunami to reach the shore.

Question 10

What was the GNI of Indonesia during the earthquake?

(ECONOMIC vulnerability)

Answer 10

$5,490 in 2004. Indonesia was categorised as lower middle-income countries.

Question 11

What was the level of technology available in Indonesia during the earthquake and tsunami?

(ECONOMIC vulnerability)

Answer 11

Limited technology to monitor for the threat of tsunamis and to deliver warning systems.

Question 12

How educated were the Indonesian population about the risks of earthquakes prior to the earthquake and tsunami?

(SOCIO-ECONOMIC vulnerability)

Answer 12

12 years compulsory education. Literacy rate was 90% in 2004. Schools and universities remain plagued by corruption, poor quality teaching and staff absenteeism. This lead to a low awareness of risks in the general population.

Question 13

What was the population structure of Indonesia before the earthquake and tsunami?

(SOCIAL vulnerability)

Answer 13

-Youthful population (26.22% under 15 years)
-The areas affected by the tsunami had a very high population density

Question 14

What time and date did the Indonesian earthquake take place?

(SOCIAL vulnerability)

Answer 14

7:59am on the 25th December 2004 and is commonly referred to as the Boxing Day tsunami.

Question 15

What was the infrastructure like in Indonesia and how did this impact on the risk posed by the earthquake?

Answer 15

Poor infrastructure meant rural areas were difficult to access to provide aid it. The problem was worsened as Indonesia is a group of islands.

Question 16

How stable is Indonesia’s government?

(POLTICAL vulnerability)

Answer 16

Indonesia is the 3rd largest democracy and the only members of ASEAN in the G20. Indonesia has a presidential system of democracy and a push for decentralisation has seen much power transferred to regions.

Question 17

What were the economic impacts of the Indonesian earthquake?

Answer 17

-Up to $10bn damages
-Ports destroyed leaving fishing industries in the region ruined
-Loss of valuable farmland
-Hugh impacts on tourism in region including Thailand

Question 18

What were the social/demographic impacts of the Indonesian earthquake?

Answer 18

-275,000 dead including 45,000 more women than men
-1.7 million homeless with 141,000 homes destroyed
-Water borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid spread through contaminated water
-Millions lost their livelihoods particularly in fisheries and agriculture

Question 19

What are the environmental impacts of the Indonesian earthquake?

Answer 19

-8 million litres of oil leaked into coastal areas
-Coral reefs destroyed and damaged
-Pollution of waterways and ecosystems with saltwater
-Impacts on coastal ecosystems including mangroves

Question 20

How prepared was Indonesia for the earthquake?

Answer 20

-No prior education or training about how to respond to a tsunami
-No warning systems in place so no messages were passed to individuals under threat

Question 21

What was the response (short term) to the Indonesia earthquake?

Answer 21

-UN provided food and water for more than 1.3million people
-Rescue services were overwhelmed by scale of impact leaving thousands for days without assistance
-Bodies piled up in streets before mass burials
-5 million people provided with emergency shelter

Question 22

What was the recovery (long term) to the Indonesia earthquake?

Answer 22

-$7billion donated worldwide
-Home building a major focus with 140,000 new homes built
-Counselling provided
-Schools rebuilt

Question 23

What was the mitigation after the Indonesian earthquake?

Answer 23

-Tsunami Warning System was set up with formal warnings now passed to people via text, email, TV and radio
-Mangrove forests were restored as part of the Great Green Coast project as these provide a natural barrier to tsunamis.