seismic - INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI Flashcards
when did it happen
26 December 2004
what magnitude was the EQ
9.0-9.3
what plate boundary
Convergent = Indian plate subducts underneath the Burma plate
what did the EQ lead to …
… caused a tsunami that travelled thousands of km across the Indian Ocean
how many people were killed
300,000
what did scientists do that wasn’t good
scientists knew in advance that southern Asia was going to be hit, but warnings were too late – radio and television alerts were not broadcasted in Thailand until an hour after the first wave hit
what happened 15mins post initial EQ
waves reaching 20m tall hit Sumatra
primary impacts
up to 3000 died
vegetation and top soil removed
infrastructure was destroyed
coastal settlements were devasted
how far inland was top soil and vegetation removed
up to 800m inland
what infrastructure was destroyed
Andaman and Nicobar Islands jetties were washed away
example of a coastal settlement that was destroyed
Banda Aceh in Sumatra was obliterated
secondary impacts
widespread homelessness
economies devastated
negative multiplier effect
water supplies and soils = contaminated by salt water
rich-poor gap increased
how many left homeless
500,000 people forced into refugee camps in the worst hit regions
in Indonesia
what economies were devastated
fishing, agriculture and tourism sectors
44% of pop. living in Aceh
Province, Indonesia lost their livelihoods
thailand = cost to fishing industry was £226m
what impact did the negative multiplier effect have on sri lanka
loss of fishing vessels
resulted in fewer catches – less likely to reach market because of fewer refrigerated trucks and
the widespread damage to infrastructure
immediate responses
international relief efforts established
foreign military troops provided assistance
example of a foreign military troop that provided assistance
the Australian Air Force improved air traffic
control at Banda Aceh airport, Indonesia
how many agencies provided relief efforts
involved more than 160 aid organisations
and UN agencies
longer term responses
large scale reconstruction
tourist resorts rebuilt
tsunami awareness began in schools
practice and evacuation drills established
coastal zones were hazard mapped - identifies areas most at risk
although reconstruction programmes were implemented ….
many thousands were still left in tents one year on
example of a tourist resort that was rebuilt
phuket, thailand
what is a negative to the reconstruction of tourist resorts
some native coastal communities
were forced out by new developments, such as Andhra Pradesh, India
where did the EQ occur
the Ocean floor 240km north - west of Sumatra, Indonesia.
15m vertical displacement of 1600km of the sea bed led to a massive tsunami
how long did the EQ last and why was the EQ not typical?
longest ever recorded EQ–> lasted 12 minutes
most EQ last between 10-30 seconds
how many countries were affected by the EQ and give 4 examples?
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Sumatra
Malaysia
12 countries were hit in total
what % of the population in Aceh Province lost livelihoods
44% of the population living in Aceh Province, Indonesia lost livelihoods.
how did political tension impact on long-term responses
slowed aid distribution
= Sri Lanka aid was delayed to areas held to rebel Tamil Tigers
existing gov prejudices were highlighted
= in India the dalits an underclass were ignored by the government
economic impacts
2006: Thailand + Malaysia
= tourism industry recovering BUT visitor numbers 20% lower than before
= 1 mill+ jobs lost directly –> farming, fishing + tourism made up 70% of GDP in Indonesia = many families left with no source of £ for yrs –> farmers + fishermen are poorest
cost of damage
just under $10 bill
environmental impacts
mangrove forests destroyed –> World Conservation Union estimated that 200ha need replanting
maldives –> fresh H2O supplies polluted = 16 out of 17 Coral Atolls uninhabitable = affects tourism
how many people were forced to leave local areas
~1.69m
short term responses
1.2mill children immunised against diseases spreading in refugee camps
Oxfam: tents, blankets, food, clean water –> helped 2.5m overall
long term responses
UNICEF: construction of 300 primary schools
Cash for Work Programme –> 60-70% of fishermen back in business
what does the Cash for work programme stand for
work for survivors –> rebuilding boats, building, desalinating land
what does IOTWS stand for?
Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System
what is involved in the IOTWS?
DART detection buoys
satellite communication
example where the IOTWS has been used
17 July 2006 Java tsunami
how successful was the IOTWS during the Java tsunami
SMS message sent to ~ 400 available addresses
fully operational + worked as expected = tsunami bulletins issued to contact points in Indian Ocean in normal time frames
some limitations of the IOTWS
SMS list didn’t contain many Java coastal addresses = generally didn’t receive official warnings
race against time –> earthquake only 200km from Java coast = arrived 15 mins later
IOTWS - what future improvements are needed?
education –> can’t just rely on science-based warnings - may arrive sooner than warnings generated
gaps in science + tech. –> need quicker assessment + warning for short-range tsunamis
factors affected the impacts and responses to the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
- Technology
- Hazard profile
- Education
- Culture/conflict
- Area
- Time
- Wealth
- Experience
- Elderly/age
how did technology affect the impacts and responses?
infrequency of tsunamis = no warning system existed for Indian Ocean
how did hazard profile affect the impacts and responses?
9.2 on Richter Scale - 12 mins long earthquake = longest
how did education affect the impacts and responses?
educated = knew drawback is a sign = ran to hills
how did culture/conflict affect the impacts and responses?
NE coast of Sri Lanka + Aceh province in Indonesia = war zones = distressed state
how did area affect the impacts and responses?
lowland coastal plains = vulnerable to flooding
how did time affect the impacts and responses?
first hit under 30 mins = lack time to prepare
how did wealth affect the impacts and responses?
LICs = lack supplies, rely on foreign aid = slower
how did experience affect the impacts and responses?
infrequent –> nothing of that scale in last 300 yrs = lack knowledge
how did elderly/age affect the impacts and responses?
youthful pop. = vulnerable –> 1/3 of deaths children
Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka + Thailand = 13,954 over 60 yrs killed-
