note on tsunami of 2004 in india about 200 words
Answers
Explanation:
On 26th December 2004, the Indian Ocean was hit by tsunamis which are considered to be the most catastrophic in the living memory of the inhabitants of the coastal areas of this ocean. It was caused by a severe earthquake which measured 8.9 on the Richter scale.
Tsunami
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Seismologists at Northwestern University in Illinois later upgraded the earthquake to magnitude 9.3 on Richter scale. This is perhaps the highest magnitude for any earthquake ever recorded anywhere in the world. This earthquake had its epicentre off the coast of Sumatra (Indonesia) at 3.5° north latitude and 95° east longitude. This place happens to be at the tri-junction of the Indian, Australian and Burmese (Myanmarese) plates.
The following description gives a brief account of sequence of events about tsunamis which affected most countries to bordering the Indian Ocean.
6.29 1ST The Indian plate slips below the Burma plate and a severe earthquake is caused.
6.30 1ST Displacement of a part of ocean floor forces the water upwards. A series of waves rushes outwards and races across the surface towards the shore line.
6.45 – 6.501ST Tsunamis reach Car Nicobar.
9.00 1ST Giant waves hit Thailand’s Phuket Island.
9.00 – 9.50 1ST Tsunamis attack coastal areas of mainland of India including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala after travelling more than 2,000 km in a short span of about three hours.
10.301ST Hit Sri Lanka.
11.301ST Wrap around Sri Lanka and India.
13.00- 14.00 Reach African coast after travelling the entire Indian Ocean over a distance of about five thousand km.
The earthquake was triggered by the collision of the Indian plate with Burmese plate. It occurred at the point where the Indian plate subducts below the Burmese plate due to the northward movement of the Indian plate (Fig. 8.8). Seismologists have noted a 15 metre slip in the vertical direction along the crack that is about 1000 km long extending upto Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the northern direction.
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Damages by Tsunami:
This tsunami had been the most damaging in the world history. It had wrecked havoc to as many as 11 countries of south and Southeast Asia and East Africa extending from Indonesia to Somalia. Hence it is rightly called the tragedy of international dimensions. Various types of damages done by the tsunami of 26th December 2004 are briefly described as under.
1. Death Toll:
The tsunamis that hit the Indian Ocean on 26th Dec. 2004 claimed over 1.5 lakh lives in different countries of Asia and Africa. The soaring waves killed people of at least 40 nationalities including tourists from various countries of the world.
Table 8.5 shows that Indonesia has been the worst sufferer with death toll of over one lakh persons. Sri Lanka, India and Thailand also suffered heavy tolls. The other countries which suffered loss of life include Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and the distant African countries of Somalia, Kenya, Seychelles and Tanzania.
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Surprisingly Malaysia suffered only a fraction of destruction despite its being located so near to the epicentre of the earthquake. This is because of the location of Sumatra which acted as buffer for Malaysia.