Tsunami Event

Date Tsunami Cause Tsunami Source Location Tsunami Parameters
Max
Water
Height		 Num. of
Runups		 Deposits Magnitude Tsu
Int		 Warn Status
Year Mo Dy Hr Mn Sec Val Code Country Name Latitude Longitude Abe Iida
2004 12 26 0 58 53.4 4 1 INDONESIA OFF W. COAST OF SUMATRA 3.295 95.982 50.90 1507 136 4
tsevent
Tsunami Effects Total Effects (Tsunami and Source)
Deaths Missing Injuries Damage Houses Destroyed Houses Damaged Deaths Missing Injuries Damage Houses Destroyed Houses Damaged
Num De Num De Num De $Mill De Num De Num De Num De Num De Num De $Mill De Num De Num De
226898 4 3 10000 4 3 227898 4 3 10000 4 3
Tsunami Comments

Comments for the Tsunami Event

Display listing of nearby tsunami events

The tsunami generated by the earthquake off the coast of northern Sumatra was recorded nearly world-wide and killed more people than any other tsunami in recorded history. More than 297,248 people were either killed or listed as missing and presumed dead and 1,126,900 were displaced by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The estimated economic losses exceed $10 billion (Reference #1610).

227898 dead or missing, $9.9 billion (reference #3969)

Reference #3757 lists approximately 250,000 lives were lost.

The estimates below are from References #1053 and #3969:

Indonesia:167,540 people killed or missing, 426,800 displaced in Aceh and Sumatera Utara Provinces. Wave heights of 30 m along the west coast of Sumatra.
Sri Lanka:35,322 killed or missing, 552,600 displaced. Wave heights of 5-10 m.
India:16,269 killed or missing, 112,500 displaced in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar Is. Wave heights of 20 m in the Andaman Is. and 10 m on the east coast of India.
Thailand:8,212 killed or missing, 8,400 injured. Wave heights of 3-5 m in the Phuket area.
Somalia:289 killed, 5,000 displaced
Yemen:2 killed
Myanmar:61 killed or missing, 3,200 displaced
Tanzania:13 killed
Maldives:82 killed, 26 missing, 21,600 displaced
Malaysia:75 killed or missing, 4,200 displaced
Seychelles:2 killed
Bangladesh:2 killed
Kenya:1 killed
South Africa:2 killed
Madagascar:1,000 displaced
Mauritius:some damage
Mozambique:tsunami observed, no damage reported
Australia:tsunami caused minor damage at Geraldton and Mangles Bay. People swept into the ocean at Delambre Is and Geographe Bay, but all survived.

Seiches were observed in India and the United States. Subsidence and landslides were observed in Sumatra. A mud volcano near Baratang, Andaman Is. became active on December 28 and gas emissions were reported in Arakan, Myanmar.

NOAA/PMEL wave animations: Indian Ocean, Global

NOAA/PMEL calculated wave: Amplitude, Travel time

More information: NOAA Satellite Wave Height Measurements, NOAA/NGDC DMSP - OLS Light Detection

References for a Tsunami event ID

References for the Tsunami Event

ID Author Year Citation
540 NOAA West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center 2005 Retrieved January 5, 2005 from link
1053 National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) 1971 to present Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE), a weekly and monthly publication, National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado, 1971 to present.
1304 Goring, Derek G. 2005 Sumatra Tsunami at New Zealand Ports and Harbours. Retrieved July 5, 2005 from link
1351 National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) 2005 Magnitude 9.0 Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake retrieved September 29, 2005 from National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado.
1455 Watts, Philip, Mansour Ioualalen, Stephan Grilli, M.ASCE, Gengyan Shi, and James T. Kirby, M.ASCE 2005 Numerical Simulation of the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami using a Higher-order Boussinesq Model.
1610 Munich Re Group 2005 Annual Review: Natural Catastrophes 2004 in the Munich Re Group Knowledge Series, Topics Geo, 2005, 60 p.
1915 Gusiakov, Viacheslav K. 2005 Basic list of measurements made in Sibolga and Nias Island, by the Russian team during the field survey on Sumatra and Nias Island on January 20-29, 2005. Retrieved May 9, 2006 from http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/indo20041226/sibolga_nias.htm
1922 Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2004 Wave sweeps campers out to sea in WA, Retrieved May 10, 2006, from http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/printfriendly.pl?http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1274000.htm
1924 Kawata, Yoshiaki, Fumihiko Imamura, Takashi Tomita, Taro Arikawa, Tomohiro Yasuda 2005 The December 26, 2004 Sumatra Earthquake Tsunami, Tsunami Field Survey around Galle, Sri Lanka. Retrieved May 11, 2006 from http://www.drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/sumatra/srilanka/galle_survey_e.html
1927 Rabinovich, A., Stephenson, F., Cherniawsky, J., Thomson, R., Crawford, B., Kulikov, E., Gower, J. 2005 Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science: Tsunamis and Tsunami Research: December 26, 2004 and March 28, 2005 Indian Ocean Tsunami Events. Retrieved May 15, 2006 from http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/osap/projects/tsunami/tsunamiasia_e.htm
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2020 Melo, Eloi and Rocha, Cesar 2005 Sumatra tsunami detected in southern Brazil, reported by Eloi Melo & Cesar Rocha on January, 14th, 2005, Maritime Hydraulics Laboratory, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Retrieved May 30, 2006 from http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/indo20041226/tsunami-southern_brazil.pdf
2021 Candella, Rogerio 2005 Sea level at Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil, Physical Oceanography Division, IEAPM - BRAZIL, Retrieved May 31, 2006 from http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/indo20041226/IEAPM.htm
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3725 Kawata, Yoshiaki, Yoshinobu Tsuji, Yoshio Sugimoto, Haruo Hayashi, Hideo Matsutomi, Yukinobu Okamura, Isao Hayashi, Hajime Kayane, Yuichiro Tanioka, Koji Fujima, Fumihiko Imamura, Tomoyuki Takahashi, Norio Maki, Shunichi Koshimura 2005 Comprehensive analysis of the damage and its impact on coastal zones by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, research was financially supported by Grant-in-Aid for Special Purposes Research Report, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Grant Number16800055, Leader Yoshiaki Kawata, Kyoto University), 186 p, retrieved December 2005 from http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/report.html.
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3757 United Nations Environment Programme 2005 After the Tsunami Rapid Environmental Assessment. Retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www.unep.org/tsunami/reports/TSUNAMI_report_complete.pdf
3815 Thomson, R.E, Rabinovich, A.B., Krassovski, M.V. 2007 Double jeopardy: Concurrent arrival of the 2004 Sumatra tsunami and storm-generated waves on the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada
3841 Lavigne, F., R. Paris, P. Wassmer, C. Gomez, D. Brunstein, D. Grancher, F. Vautier, J. Sartohadi, A. Setiawan, et al. 2006 Learning from a major disaster (Banda Aceh, December 26th, 2004): A methodology to calibrate simulation codes for tsunami inundation models. Z. Geomorph. N.F., Suppl. vol. 146, p. 253-265.
3968 Cosgrave, John 2007 Synthesis Report: Expanded Summary, Joint evaluation of the international response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, published by the Tsunami Evaluation Coaliton (TEC), January 2007, 42 p.
3969 Telford, John, and John Cosgrave 2006 Synthesis Report: Joint evaluation of the international response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, published by the Tsunami Evaluation Coaliton (TEC), July 2006, 176 p.
3975 Leonard, Mark 2006 Analysis of tide gauge records from the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 33, L17602. DOI:10.1029/2006GL026552
4002 Stephenson, Frederick E., and Alexander B. Rabinovich 2009 Tsunamis on the Pacific Coast of Canada Recorded in 1994-2007. In Tsunami Science Four Years After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Part II: Observation and Data Analysis, Phil R. Cummins, Laura S.L. Kong, Kenji Satake, eds., Pure Appl. Geophys., vol. 166, no. 1-2, p. 177-210. DOI:10.1007/s00024-008-0440-7
4307 Liu, P., P. Lynett, H. Fernando, B. Jaffe, H. Fritz, B. Higman, R. Morton, J. Goff, C. Synoplakis 2005 Observations by the International Tsunami Survey Team in Sri Lanka. Science, vol. 308, no. 5728, p. 1595. DOI: 10.1126/science.1110730
4400 Bahuguna, Anjali, Shailesh Nayak, Dam Roy 2008 Impact of the tsunami and earthquake of 26th December 2004 on the vital coastal ecosystems of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands assessed using RESOURCESAT AWiFS data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, vol. 10, p. 229-237.
5013 Chao, B. R. 2005 Did the 26 December 2004 Sumatra, Indonesia, Earthquake disrupt the Earth's rotation as the mass media have said? EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, vol. 86, no. 1, p. 1-2.
5016 Grilli, Stéphan T., M. Asce, Mansour Ioualalen, Jack Asavanant, Fengyan Shi, James T. Kirby, M. Asce, Philip Watts 2007 Source constraints and model simulation of the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean Tsunami. Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, p. 414-428. DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-950X(2007)133:6(414)
5017 Geological Survey of India 2005 A preliminary report on investigation of effects of the Sumatra - Andaman Earthquake of 26 December 2004 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Geological Survey of India, Government of India, 22 p.
5020 Jankaew, Kruawun, Brian F. Atwater, Yuki Sawai, Montri Choowong, Thasinee Charoentitirat, Maria E. Martin, Amy Prendergast 2008 Medieval forewarning of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand. Nature, vol. 455, p. 1228-1231.
5026 Liu, Philip L.-F., Patrick Lynett, Harindra Fernando, Bruce E. Jaffe; Hermann Fritz, Bretwood Higman, Robert Morton, James Goff, Costas Synolakis 2005 The Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004. Learning From Earthquakes, EERI Special Earthquake Report, p. 1-4. Retrieved from http://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/sri_lanka_tsunami_eeri_survey.pdf
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5154 Feldens, P.; Schwarzer, K.; Szczucinski, W.; Stattegger, K.; Sakuna, D.; Somgpongchaiykul, P. 2009 Impact of 2004 Tsunami on Seafloor Morphology and Offshore Sediments, Pakarang Cape, Thailand. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 53-68.
5164 Yeh, Harry; Francis, Mathew; Peterson, Curt; Katada, Toshitaka; Latha, G.; Chadha, R. K.; Singh, J. P.; Raghuraman, G. 2007 Effects of the 2004 Great Sumatra Tsunami: Southeast Indian Coast. Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering, vol. 133, no. 6, p. 382-400. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-950X(2007)133:6(382)
5209 Bunting, Tim; Singh, Satish; Bayly, Martin; Christie, Phil 2008 Seismic imaging of the fault that caused the great Indian Ocean earthquake of 26 December 2004, and the resulting catastrophic tsunami. Leading Edge, vol. 27, no. 10, p. 1272-1281.
5252 Geist, Eric L., Vasily V. Titov, Diego Arcas, Fred F. Pollitz, and Susan L. Bilek 2007 Implications of the 26 December 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake on tsunami forecast and assessment models for great subduction-zone earthquakes. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol. 97, no. 1A, p. S249–S270. DOI:10.1785/0120050619
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5330 Lay, Thorne; Kanamori, Hiroo; Ammon, Charles J; Nettles, Meredith; Ward, Steven N; Aster, Richard C; Beck, Susan L; Bilek, Susan L; Brudzinski, Michael R; Butler, Rhett; DeShon, Heather R; Ekstrom, Goran; Satake, Kenji; Sipkin, Stuart 2005 The great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004. Science, vol. 308, no. 5725, p. 1127-1133.
5360 Fujii, Yushiro, Kenji Satake 2007 Tsunami source of the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake inferred from tide gauge and satellite data. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol. 97, no. 1A, p. S192-S207.
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6474 Worachananant, Suchai; Carter, R.W.; Hockings, Marc 2007 Impacts of the 2004 Tsunami on Surin Marine National Park, Thailand. Coastal Management, vol. 35, no. 2-3, p. 399-412. DOI:10.1080/08920750601169667
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6617 Choowong, M., N. Murakoshi, K. Hisada, P. Charusiri, V. Daorerk, T. Charoentitirat, V. Chutakositkanon, K. Jankaew, P. Kanjanapayont 2007 Erosion and deposition by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in Phuket and Phang-nga Provinces, Thailand. Journal of Coastal Research, vol. 23, no. 5, p. 1270-1276. DOI:10.2112/05-0561.1
6687 Fritz, H.M., C.E. Synolakis, B.G. McAdoo 2006 Maldives field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Earthquake Spectra, vol. 22, no. S3, p. S137-S154. DOI:10.1193/1.2201973
6693 Goff, J.; Liu, P.L.F.; Higman, B.; Morton, R.; Jaffe, B.E.; Fernando, H.; Lynett, P.; Fritz, H.; Synolakis, C.; Fernando, S. 2006 Sri Lanka field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Earthquake Spectra, vol. 22, no. S3, p. S155-S172. DOI:10.1193/1.2205897
6753 Kurian, N.P., K. Rajith, B.T. Murali Krishnan, N. Nirupama, and T.S. Murty 2006 Analysis of the Tsunami of December 26, 2004, on the Kerala Coast of India—Part III: Inundation and Initial Withdrawal. Marine Geodesy, vol. 29, no. 4, p. 277-281. DOI:10.1080/01490410601009018
6766 Okal, Emile A., Anthony Sladen, and Emily A.-S. Okal 2006 Rodrigues, Mauritius, and Reunion islands field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Earthquake Spectra, vol. 22, no. S3, p. S241-S261. DOI:10.1193/1.2209190
9299 Synolakis, Costas E. and Eddie N. Bernard 2006 Tsunami science before and beyond Boxing Day 2004. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, vol. 364, no. 1845, p. 2231-2265. DOI:10.1098/rsta.2006.1824
9460 Rabinovich, Alexander B., Richard E. Thomson and Fred E. Stephenson 2006 The Sumatra tsunami of 26 December 2004 as observed in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Surveys in Geophysics, vol. 27, no. 6, p. 647-677. DOI:10.1007/s10712-006-9000-9
9474 Maheshwari, B.K., Sharma, M.L. and Narayan, J.P. 2006 Geotechnical and structural damage in Tamil Nadu, India, from the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Earthquake Spectra, vol. 22, no. S3, p. S475-S493.