indian ocean

date

26 december 2004

magnitude

9.1-9.3, third largest ever recorded

plate boundary type

convergent - indo-australian subducting under eurasian plate

epicentre

250km off west coast of sumatra, 30km deep hypocentre (shallow)

deaths

230,000+ deaths across 14 countries, with indonesia making up 70% of these deaths (P)

displaced

over 1.7 million displaced (P)

waves

wave height reached 30m high, travelling 800km/h

severe flooding, coastal infrastructure destroyed

salt water intrusion of farmland caused long-term agricultural changes (P)

economic loss

$10 billion across all countries (S)

tourism impacts

major decline in thailand, sri lanka and the Maldives (S)

environmental damage

loss of mangroves - vital coastal defence

loss of coral reefs and coastal ecosystems (S)

social impact

cholera and dysentry spread due to poor sanitation in refugee camps (S)

international aid

$14 billion provided by governments and NGOs

military assistance from UK, USA, India and Australia

national responses

mass burials to prevent disease outbreaks

energy supplies distributed to survivors

search and rescue deployed - isolated communities hard to reach

long term responses

indian ocean tsunami warning system established 2006

mangrove replanting and sea walls constructed

education and evacuation drills put into place

reconstruction efforts in sri lanka, thailand using INT funding

sustainable redevelopment project for resilience