3. Magnitude and Intensity
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was
an undersea mega thrust earthquake that occurred at
00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, 26 December 2004, with
an epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.
With a magnitude of Mw 9.1–9.3, it is the third largest
earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. The
earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever
observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes.
4. Death toll
According to the country's National Disaster Relief
Coordination Agency, 126,915 people are dead and 37,063
are missing. In addition, the UN estimates that 655,000
people are homeless and sheltering in scattered refugee
camps across the province.
As of January 23, 2005 the Health Ministry reported 173,981
dead while the Social Affairs Ministry registered 114,978
killed. On 25 January Health Minister Fadilah Supari
updated the estimated death total to 220,000.The death
toll is now (2011) estimated at 225,000 that died in the
tsunami
5. Damages
The effect of the tsunami has
been long lasting. In
addition to the huge loss of
life, there was a huge
economic and
environmental impact on the
countries affected. In coastal
areas, much of the fishing
gear and supplies was
destroyed. The tsunami also
made tourists hesitant to
stay in the area. There was
also contamination of
drinking water and
destruction of coral
reefs, forests, and other
many other natural
features.
6. Maps and photographs
Left: Damage caused by
the tsunami. Right: A
map showing the
magnitude
