 On 26 December 2004, an earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, occurred off the coast of western Sumatra, Indonesia and generated a massive and destructive tsunami. The tsunami took less than 2 hours to reach Thailand and Sri Lanka, 3.5 hours to get to the Maldives and nearly 8 hours to arrive in East Africa. Tidal disturbances were reported on the North West coast of Australia. See the Animation of the Indonesian Tsunami in the News below. The death toll now stands at more than 147,000.
The last transoceanic tsunami to hit the region was in 1882, and this was caused by Krakatoa’s eruption in Indonesia. Other large earthquakes along the Sumatra trench had not caused major tsunamis, or if they had, they had not been reported as devastating. Outside the Pacific, no tsunami warning systems or centres exist, although the tsunami hazard has long been known to exist on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Black Seas and in the eastern Indian Ocean. |
Tsunamis, one of the most destructive forces of nature, are described in general terms. IOC co-sponsors an information center and warning system for tsunamis in the Pacific and organizes relevant training and infrastructure building for Member States in that region.
