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[[Image:2004-tsunami.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hits Thailand]]
The '''2004 Indian Ocean earthquake''', known by the scientific community as the '''Sumatra-Andaman earthquake''', was an undersea [[earthquake]] that occurred at 00:58:53 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] (07:58:53 local time) on [[December 26]] [[2004]]. The [[tsunami]] generated by the earthquake killed approximately 275,000 people, making it one of the [[List of disasters|deadliest disasters]] in [[modern history]]. The disaster is also known in [[Australia]], [[Canada]], and the [[United Kingdom]] as the '''[[Boxing Day]] Tsunami'''. It was still [[Christmas Day]] in the western hemisphere when the disaster hit.
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In [[May 2005]], scientists reported that the earthquake itself lasted close to ten minutes when most major earthquakes last no more than a few seconds; it caused the entire planet to vibrate at least a few centimetres. [http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/05/19/sumatra.quake/index.html (CNN)] It also triggered earthquakes elsewhere, as far away as [[Alaska]] [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5725/1144 (Science)].
The earthquake originated in the [[Indian Ocean]] just [[north]] of [[Simeulue]] island, off the western coast of northern [[Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]]. The resulting tsunami devastated the shores of Indonesia, [[Sri Lanka]], [[South India]], [[Thailand]] and other countries with waves up to 30 m (100 ft). It caused serious damage and deaths as far as the east coast of [[Africa]], with the furthest recorded death due to the tsunami occurring at [[Port Elizabeth]] in [[South Africa]], 8,000 km (5,000 mi) away from the [[epicentre]] [[Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake#Countries suffering some casualties and damage|*]].
Approximately 170,000–275,000
The true final toll may never be known due to bodies having been swept out to sea, but current estimates use conservative methodologies. Relief agencies warn of the possibility of more deaths to come as a result of epidemics caused by poor sanitation, but the threat of [[starvation]] seems now to have been largely averted (BBC News, [[January 9]], [[2005]], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4157947.stm]). The plight of the many [[countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|affected people and countries]] prompted a widespread [[humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|humanitarian response]].
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The earthquake was initially reported as 8.6 on the [[Richter magnitude scale|Richter scale]]. The [[Pacific Tsunami Warning Center]] (PTWC) also estimated it at 8.5 shortly after the earthquake. On the [[moment magnitude scale]], which is more accurate for quakes of this size, the earthquake's magnitude was first reported as 8.1 by the [[United States Geological Survey|U.S. Geological Survey]]. After further analysis, this was increased to 8.5, 8.9, and 9.0 (USGS, 2004, [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/usslav.htm]). In [[February 2005]], some scientists revised the estimate of magnitude to 9.3. Although the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has accepted this, the USGS has so far not changed its estimate of 9.0 (McKee, 9 Feb 2005, [http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6991]). The most definitive estimate so far has put the magnitude at 9.15 [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5725/1125].
The [[hypocentre]] of the main earthquake was at 3.316°N, 95.854°E ({{coor dm|3|19|N|95|51.24|E}}), some [[1 E5 m|160 km]] (100 mi) west of Sumatra, at a depth of [[1 E4 m|30 km]] (18.6 mi) below [[mean sea level]] (initially reported as 10 km). This is at the extreme western end of the [[Pacific Ring of Fire|Ring of Fire]], an earthquake belt that accounts for 81 percent of the world's largest earthquakes (USGS FAQ, [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html#1]). The earthquake itself (apart from the tsunami) was felt as far away as [[Bangladesh]], [[India]], [[Malaysia]], [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]], [[Singapore]] and the [[Maldives]].
Since [[1900]] the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the [[1960]] [[Great Chilean Earthquake]] (magnitude 9.5), the [[1964]] [[Good Friday Earthquake]] in [[Prince William Sound]] (9.2), and the [[March 9]] [[1957]] earthquake [http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/usa/1957_03_09.html] in the [[Andreanof Islands]] (9.1). The only other recorded earthquake of magnitude 9.0 was in [[1952]] off the southeast coast of [[Kamchatka Peninsula|Kamchatka]] [http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/world/1952_11_04.html] (see [http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/10maps_world.html Top 10 earthquakes]). Each of these [[megathrust earthquake]]s also spawned tsunamis (in the Pacific Ocean), but the death toll from these was significantly lower; a few thousand for the worst one, probably because of the lower [[population density]] along the coasts near affected areas and the much greater distances to more populated coasts.
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===Tectonic plates===
[[Image:2004 Indonesia Tsunami.gif|right|frame|200px|Animation of the [[tsunami]] caused by the earthquake (see also the [[:Image:2004 Indonesia Tsunami Complete.gif|full-length version]]) From [http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami NOAA/PMEL].]]
The earthquake was unusually large in geographical extent. An estimated [[1 E6 m|1200 km]] (750 mi) of [[geologic fault|faultline]] slipped about [[1 E1 m|15 m]] (50 ft) along the [[subduction zone]] where the [[India Plate]] dives under the [[Burma Plate]]. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over a period of several minutes. Seismographic and acoustic data indicate that the first phase involved the formation of a rupture about 400 km (250 mi) long and 100 km (60 mi) wide, located 30 km (19 mi) beneath the sea bed - the longest known rupture ever known to have been caused by an earthquake. The rupture proceeded at a speed of about 2.8 km/s (1.7 [[mile per second|mi/s]]) or 10,000 km/h (6,300 mph), beginning off the coast of [[Aceh]] and proceeding north-westerly over a period of about 100 seconds. A pause of about another 100 seconds took place before the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, the northern rupture occurred more slowly than in the south, at about 2.1 km/s (4,700 mph), continuing north for another five minutes to a plate boundary where the fault changes from subduction to strike-slip (the two plates push past one another in opposite directions) thus reducing the speed of the water displacement and so reducing the size of the tsunami that hit the northern part of the Indian Ocean [http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news/2005/07_20_05.htm].
The India Plate is part of the great [[Indo-Australian Plate]], which underlies the [[Indian Ocean]] and [[Bay of Bengal]], and is drifting northeast at an average of 6 cm/[[year|a]] (2 inches per year). The India Plate meets the Australasian Plate (which is considered a portion of the great [[Eurasian Plate]]) at the [[Sunda Trench]]. At this point the India Plate subducts the Burma Plate, which carries the [[Nicobar Islands]], the [[Andaman Islands]] and northern [[Sumatra]]. The India Plate slips deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until the increasing temperature and pressure drive volatiles out of the subducting plate. These volatiles rise into the mantle above and trigger melt which exits the earth's mantle through volcanoes (see [[Volcanic arc]]). The volcanic activity that results as the Indo-Australian plate subducts the Eurasian plate has created the [[Sunda Arc]].
As well as the sideways movement between the plates, the sea bed is estimated to have risen by several metres, displacing an estimated 30 km³ (7 cu mi) of water and triggering devastating [[tsunami]] waves. The waves did not originate from a point source, as mistakenly depicted in some illustrations of their spread, but radiated outwards along the entire 1200 km (750 mi) length of the rupture. This greatly increased the geographical area over which the waves were observed, reaching as far as [[Mexico]], [[Chile]] and the [[Arctic]]. The raising of the sea bed significantly reduced the capacity of the Indian Ocean, producing a permanent rise in the global sea level by an estimated 0.1 mm. [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;308/5725/1126]
=== Aftershocks and other earthquakes ===
[[Image:Neic slav fig72.gif|thumb|306px|Locations of initial quake and aftershocks (Credit: [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]])]]
Numerous [[aftershock]]s were reported off the [[Andaman Islands]], the [[Nicobar Islands]] and the region of the original epicentre in the hours and days that followed. The largest aftershock of magnitude 8.7 was located off the Sumatran island of [[Nias]] [http://www.investors.com/breakingnews.asp?journalid=26681113&brk=1]. Other aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.6 continue to shake the region on a daily basis [http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/] [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/10/95_5.html].
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake came just three days after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in an uninhabited region west of New Zealand's [[List of sub-antarctic islands|sub-Antarctic]] [[Auckland Islands]], and north of Australia's [[Macquarie Island]] [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ussjal.htm]. This is unusual, since earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more occur only about once per year on average [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html#8]. Some seismologists have speculated about a connection between these two earthquakes, saying that the former one might have been a catalyst to the Indian Ocean earthquake, as the two quakes happened on opposite sides of the [[Indo-Australian Plate]] [http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11787870%255E28477,00.html] (a [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usurbm/ 6.5 earthquake] occurred on [[19 February]] 2005 off [[Sulawesi]] at the other end of the Indonesian island chain). However the [[United States Geological Survey|US Geological Survey]] sees no evidence of a causal relationship [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/neic_slav_faq.html].
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Coincidentally the earthquake struck almost exactly one year (to the hour) after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake killed an estimated 30,000 people in the city of [[Bam]] in [[Iran]] [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/uscvad.htm].
As well as continuing aftershocks, the energy released by the original earthquake continued to make its presence felt well after the event. A week after the earthquake, its reverberations could still be measured, providing valuable scientific data about the Earth's interior [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=650823].
An earthquake of magnitude 8.7 was reported shortly at 16:09:37 [[Coordinated_Universal_Time|UTC]] (23:09:37 local time) on [[March 28]] [[2005]] approximately at the same ___location (see [[2005 Sumatran earthquake]]). It is likely a very large aftershock of the original earthquake. This earthquake had strong aftershocks of its own, including magnitude 6.0 and 6.1 quakes. At 8.7, it ranks as the 7th largest earthquake since 1900.
An earthquake magnitude 6.7 struck on [[10 April]] at 1729 local time (1029 GMT) about 120 km (75 mi) south-west of the city of Padang. See [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4430255.stm BBC News: Sumatra shaken by new earthquake] - also see [http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Panic_in_Sumatra_after_new_earthquake Wikinews]
Some scientists warn that geological stresses caused by the recent quakes may even have increased the possibility that the [[Lake Toba]] [[supervolcano]] could erupt. [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12716344-2,00.html] According to the [[Toba catastrophe theory]], this could threaten human life on Earth.
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=== Power of the earthquake ===
The total energy released by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake has been estimated as [[Orders of magnitude (energy)|3.35 exajoules]] (3.35×10
The shift of mass and the massive release of energy very slightly altered the Earth's rotation. The exact amount is yet undetermined, but theoretical models suggest the earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2.68 [[microsecond]]s (2.68 µs) (or about one billionth of the length of a day) [http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2005/jan/HQ_05011_earthquake.html] due to a decrease in the [[oblate]]ness of the Earth. It also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in the direction of 145°east [[longitude]] [http://slate.msn.com/id/2111443/], [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/12/29/quake.wobble.reut/index.html] or perhaps by up to 5 or 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in) [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/29/content_2389519.htm]. However, due to tidal effects of the [[Moon]], the length of a day increases at an average of 15 µs per year, so any rotational change due to the earthquake will be lost quickly. Similarly, the natural [[Chandler wobble]] of the Earth can be up to 15 [[metre|m]] (50 ft).
More spectacularly, there was 10 m (33 ft) movement laterally and 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) vertically along the fault line. Early speculation was that some of the smaller islands southwest of [[Sumatra]] may have moved southwest by up to 20 m (66 ft). There were also calculations that the northern tip of Sumatra, which is on the [[Burma Plate]] (the southern regions are on the [[Sunda Plate]]), may have moved up to 36 m (118 ft) southwest. Since movement was vertical as well as lateral, some coastal areas may now be below sea level. Measurements using [[GPS]] and [[satellite imagery]] are being used to determine the extent and nature of actual geophysical change [http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/10574872.htm]. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands appear to have shifted southwest [http://www.seires.net/content/view/122/52/] by around 4 m (13 ft), according to GPS data.
In February 2005, the [[Royal Navy]] vessel [[HMS Scott (H131)|HMS ''Scott'']] surveyed the sea bed around the earthquake zone, which varies in depth between 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and 5,000 m (16,500 ft) west of Sumatra. The survey, conducted using a high-resolution multi-beam [[sonar]] system, revealed that the earthquake had had a huge impact on the topography of the sea bed. It had created large thrust ridges, about 1,500 m high, which have collapsed in places to produce large [[landslides]] several kilometres across. One landslide consisted of a single block of material some 100 m (300 feet) high and 2 km (1.25 mi) long. The force of the displaced water was such that individual blocks of rock, massing millions of tons apiece, were dragged as much as 10 km (7 mi) across the sea bed. An newly-formed [[oceanic trench]] several kilometres wide was also found in the earthquake zone [http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6994].
By a beneficial and remarkable coincidence, satellites [[TOPEX/Poseidon]] and [[Jason 1]] happened to pass over the tsunami as it was crossing the ocean [http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/press-releases/20050111.html]. These satellites carry [[radar]]s that measure precisely the height of the water surface; anomalies of the order of 50 cm (20 in) were measured. Measurements from these satellites may prove invaluable for the understanding of the earthquake and tsunami [http://www.aviso.oceanobs.com/html/applications/geophysique/tsunami_uk.html]. Unlike data from [[tide gauge]]s installed on shores, measurements obtained in the middle of the ocean can be used for computing the parameters of the source earthquake without having to compensate for complex effects close to the coast. Inversion of this height data may help adjust the parameters for the source earthquake.
==Tsunami characteristics==
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The sudden vertical rise of the seabed by several metres during the earthquake displaced massive volumes of water, resulting in a [[tsunami]] that struck the coasts of the [[Indian Ocean]]. A tsunami which causes damage far away from its source is sometimes called a "teletsunami", and is much more likely to be produced by vertical motion of the seabed than by horizontal motion (''Earthquakes and tsunamis'', Lorca et al.).
''[[Media:2004_Indonesia_Tsunami_Complete.gif|See a full-length animation of how the waves travelled]] (large file, about 1 [[Mebibyte|MiB]]
The tsunami, like all others, behaved very differently in deep water than in shallow water. In deep ocean water, tsunami waves form only a small hump, barely noticeable and harmless, which generally travels at a very high speed of 500 to 1,000 km/h (310 to 620 mph); in shallow water near coastlines, a tsunami slows down to only tens of kilometres an hour but in doing so forms large destructive waves [http://www.prh.noaa.gov/itic/library/about_tsu/faqs.html#8]. Scientists investigating the damage in Aceh found evidence that the wave reached a height of 24 m (80 ft) when coming ashore along large stretches of the coastline, rising to 30 m (100 ft) in some areas when travelling inland [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/211012_tsunamiscience07.html].
[[Radar]] satellites recorded the heights of tsunami waves in deep water: at two hours after the earthquake, the maximum height was 60 [[centimetre|cm]] (2 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]). These are the first such observations ever made. However, these observations could not have been used to provide a warning, because the satellites were not intended for that purpose and the data took hours to analyze [http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2365.htm] [http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6854].
According to [[Tad Murty]], vice-president of the [[Tsunami Society]], the total energy of the tsunami waves was about five [[megaton]]s of [[Trinitrotoluene|TNT]] (20 [[peta]]joules). This is more than twice the total explosive energy used during all of [[World War II]] (including the two [[atomic bomb]]s), but still a couple of [[order of magnitude|orders of magnitude]] less than the energy released in the earthquake itself [http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=2257b78c-3897-4594-ad86-18c0eb661bea]. In many places the waves reached as far as 2 [[kilometre|km]] (1.24 [[miles|mi]]) inland [http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524825.100].
Because the 1,200 km of faultline affected by the quake was in a nearly north-south orientation, the greatest strength of the tsunami waves was in an east-west direction. [[Bangladesh]], which lies at the northern end of the [[Bay of Bengal]], had very few casualties despite being a low-lying country relatively near the epicenter. It also benefitted from the fact that the earthquake proceded more slowly in the northern rupture zone, greatly reducing the energy of the water displacements in that region. [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;308/5725/1126]
Coasts that have a land mass between them and the tsunami's ___location of origin are usually safe; however, tsunami waves can sometimes [[diffraction|diffract]] around such land masses. Thus, the Indian state of [[Kerala]] was hit by the tsunami despite being on the western coast of [[India]], and the western coast of Sri Lanka also suffered substantial impacts. Also distance alone is no guarantee of safety; [[Somalia]] was hit harder than [[Bangladesh]] despite being much farther away.
Because of the distances involved, the tsunami took anywhere from fifteen minutes to seven hours (for [[Somalia]]) to reach the various coastlines (see travel time maps: [http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226trt.htm],
The tsunami was noticed as far as [[Struisbaai]] in [[South Africa]], some 8,500 km (5,300 mi) away, where a 1.5 m (5 ft) high ‘tide’ surged onshore about 16 hours after the quake. It took a relatively long time to reach this spot at the southernmost point of Africa, probably because of the broad continental shelf off South Africa and because the tsunami would have followed the South African coast from east to west [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20041228044643745C770443].
Some of the tsunami's energy escaped into the [[Pacific Ocean]], where it produced small but measurable tsunamis along the western coasts of North and South America, typically around 20 to 40 cm (7.9 to 15.7 in) [http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/IndianOSite/IndianO12-26-04.htm]. At [[Manzanillo, Colima|Manzanillo]], [[Mexico]], a 2.6 m (8.5 ft) crest-to-trough tsunami was measured. This puzzled many scientists, as the tsunamis measured in some parts of South America were larger than those measured in some parts of the Indian Ocean. It has been theorized that the tsunamis were focused and directed at long ranges by the [[mid-ocean ridges]] which run along the margins of the continental plates. [http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/050825_tsunami_waves.html]
===Signs and warnings===
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[[Image:KataNoiReceding.jpg|thumb|300px|Maximum recession of tsunami waters at [[Kata Noi Beach]], [[Thailand]], before the 3rd, and strongest, tsunami wave (sea visible in the right corner), 10:25 AM local time.]]
The first warning sign of a possible tsunami is the earthquake itself. However, tsunamis can strike thousands of miles away, where the earthquake is only felt weakly or not at all. Also, in the minutes preceding a tsunami strike the sea often recedes temporarily from the coast. People in Pacific regions are more familiar with tsunamis and often recognize this phenomenon as a sign to head for higher ground. However, around the Indian Ocean, this rare sight reportedly induced people, especially children, to visit the coast to investigate and collect stranded fish on as much as 2.5 km (1.6 mi) of exposed beach, with fatal results [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4246573].
One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of [[Simeulue]], very close to the epicentre. Island folklore recounted an earthquake and tsunami in [[1907]] and the islanders fled to inland hills after the initial shaking —before the tsunami struck [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,18690-1422835,00.html]. On Maikhao beach in northern [[Phuket]], Thailand, a 10 year old British girl named [[Tilly Smith]] had studied tsunamis in geography class at school and recognised the warning signs of the receding ocean and frothing bubbles. She and her parents warned others on the beach, which was evacuated safely [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/01/ugeog.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/01/01/ixportaltop.html].
===Retreat and rise cycle===
The tsunami was not a single devastating wave, but actually a succession of several ones, occurring in retreat and rise cycles with a period of over 30 minutes between each peak. The third wave was the most powerful, and reached highest, occurring about an hour and a half after the first wave. Several smaller tsunamis continued to occur for the rest of the day.
Image:2ndTsunamiWave.JPG|2nd tsunami wave starting to retreat, [[Kata Noi Beach]], [[Thailand]], 10:17AM.
Image:KataNoiRecedingWaters.JPG|Receding waters after the 2nd tsunami, 10:20 AM.
Image:KataNoiHighest.JPG|3rd tsunami wave, 11:00 AM.
Image:KataNoiMoreWaves.JPG|4th tsunami wave, 11:22AM.
==Damage and casualties==
[[Image:Banda Aceh Before and After 2004 Tsunami.jpg|thumb|300px|Part of the devastation of [[Banda Aceh]] on the island of [[Sumatra]] as a result of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (Credit: DigitalGlobe)]]
The reported [[death toll]] from the earthquake, the tsunami and the resultant floods varies widely because of confusion and conflicting reports, but could total over
265,000 people with tens of thousands reported missing, and over a million left homeless. The [[U.S. Geological Survey]] records the toll as 283,100 killed, 14,100 missing, and 1,126,900 people displaced [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/]. Early news reports after the earthquake spoke of a toll only in the "hundreds", but the numbers rose steadily over the following week.
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The [[earthquake]] was the fourth most powerful recorded since [[1900]], and the confirmed [[death toll]] so far is between 165,000 and 235,000, due to the ensuing tsunami. The deadliest earthquakes since [[1900]] were the [[Tangshan|Tangshan, China]] [[Tangshan earthquake|earthquake of 1976]], in which at least 255,000 were killed, the earthquake of [[1927]] in [[Xining]], [[Qinghai]], China (200,000), the [[Great Kantō earthquake]] which struck [[Tokyo]] in [[1923]] (143,000), and the [[Gansu]], China earthquake of [[1920]] (200,000). The deadliest known earthquake in history occurred in [[1556 Shaanxi earthquake|1556 in Shaanxi, China]], with an estimated [[death toll]] of 830,000, though figures from this time period may not be reliable [http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqsmajr.html].
The [[2004]] ''tsunami'' is the deadliest in recorded history. Prior to [[2004]], the deadliest recorded tsunami was in [[1782]] when 40,000 people were killed by a tsunami in the [[South China Sea]]
The 2004 earthquake and tsunami seem to be the worst [[natural disaster]] since either the 1976 [[Tangshan earthquake]] or the [[1970 Bhola cyclone]], or could conceivably exceed both of these. Due to uncertainty over death tolls, it might never be known for sure which of these natural disasters was the deadliest.
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In the days after the event, significant effort was spent in [[burial|burying]] bodies hurriedly for fear of disease. However, the [[public health]] risks may have been exaggerated and therefore this may not have been the best way to allocate resources. See [[Dead bodies and health risks]]. The [[World Food Programme]] provided food aid to more than 1.3 million people affected by the tsunami [http://www.wfp.org/newsroom/in_depth/frontline/2004/tsunami/0412-tsunami_crisis.html#].
Nations all over the world provided over [[United States dollar|USD]] 3 billion in aid for damaged regions, with the [[Government of Australia|Australian Government]] pledging USD 819.9 million (including a USD 760.6 million aid package for Indonesia
===Economic impact===
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According to specialists [http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6840], the main effect is being caused by poisoning of the [[fresh water]] supplies and the soil by [[salt water]] infiltration and deposit of a [[salt]] layer over arable land. It has been reported that in the Maldives, 16 to 17 coral reef atolls that were overcome by sea waves are totally without fresh water and could be rendered uninhabitable for decades. Uncountable wells that served communities were invaded by sea, sand and earth; and [[aquifer]]s were invaded through porous rock. Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for [[agriculture]]. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. Thousands of rice, mango and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely and will take years to recover.
The [[United Nations Environment Programme]] (UNEP) is working with governments of the region in order to determine the severity of the ecological impact and how to address them [http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=414&ArticleID=4692&l=en]. UNEP has decided also to earmark a USD 1,000,000 emergency fund and to establish a Task Force with this aim. In response to a request from the [[Politics of the Maldives|Maldivian Government]], the Australian Government sent ecological experts to help restore marine environments and coral reefs - the lifeblood of Maldivian tourism. Much of the ecological expertise has been rendered from work with the [[Great Barrier Reef]], in Australia's north-eastern waters.
===Other effects===
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===News and reports===
'''News collections:'''
*[http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/tsunami/ ABC News Online – Asian Tsunami Disaster] Australia
*[http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Tsunami/ ABC News; Tsunami Wave of Destruction] USA
*[http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=2267&pxo=0 Earthquake latest relief effort news] Australia
* [http://www.aseannewsnetwork.com/tsunami.html ASEAN Tsunami Update] ASEAN
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/world/2004/asia_quake_disaster/default.stm BBC News – In-Depth Report: Tsunami Disaster] UK
*[http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/asia_earthquake/ CBC News – Indepth: Disaster in Asia] Canada
*[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/killerwaves Channel News Asia – Special Coverage: Killer Waves] Singapore
*[http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/tsunami.disaster/ CNN – Special: Tsunami Disaster] USA
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/ Guardian Unlimited – Special Report: Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster] UK
*[http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/01/19/fea04.html Daily News Colombo – The Power of Humanity] Sri Lanka
*[http://autismsrilanka.blogspot.com Tsunami Sri Lanka Information] Sri Lanka
*[http://www.icsf.net/jsp/english/flashnews/newsPage.jsp ICSF — Updated news about tsunami impacts on fisherfolk] India
*[http://www.indonesia-relief.org Indonesia-Relief.Org; News and database on Indonesia tsunami relief effort] Indonesia
*[http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/worldspecial4/ New York Times – Complete] USA
*[http://www.smh.com.au/specials/tsunami/ Sydney Morning Herald – Waves of Devastation] Australia
*[http://www.tsunami2004-india.org/ Tsunami relief pages from SIFFS] India
*[http://www.tsunamihelp.info/wiki/index.php/Ground_Zero_Information Tsunamihelp Blog - Ground Zero Conditions] Multinational
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'''Tsunami Monitoring / Detection:'''
*[http://www.geocities.com/tvhuangsg Tsunami Detector for Indian Ocean] Web & Mobile application that reports probability of tsunami occurrences from LIVE USGS data.
*[http://www.lamit.ro/earthquake-early-warning-system.htm Earthquake Warning System] Personal Earthquake warning system. Highly advanced detector, featuring sos signals and carrying strip.
'''Scientific reports:'''
*[http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1735&pxo=0 Aceh province of Northern Sumatra Dr. Jose Borrero]
*[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2358.htm NOAA — NOAA and the Indian Ocean Tsunami]
*[http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami/sumatra20041226.html PMEL weblinks]
*[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/usslav.htm USGS — Magnitude 9.0 – off the west coast of northern Sumatra]
*[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/neic_slav_faq.html USGS — FAQ for this earthquake]
*[http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226trt.htm Tsunami Laboratory, Novosibirsk — travel-time map of tsunami waves]
*[http://www.iris.edu/seismon/ IRIS Seismic Monitor; USGS Data]
*[http://www.pgc.nrcan.gc.ca/seismo/table.htm Pacific Geoscience Center — Canada: Questions and Answers on megathrust earthquakes]
*[http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;308/5725/1126 A Flying Start, Then a Slow Slip], ''Science'' magazine, 20 May 2005
*[http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;308/5725/1127 The Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake of 26 December 2004], ''Science'' magazine, 20 May 2005
*[http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;308/5725/1144 Periodically Triggered Seismicity at Mount Wrangell, Alaska, After the Sumatra Earthquake], ''Science'' magazine, 20 May 2005
*[http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news/2005/07_20_05.htm The Sound of a Distant Rumble: Researchers Track Underwater Noise Generated by December 26 Earthquake], analysing T-wave (acoustic) data from [[Diego Garcia]], Tolstoy & Bohnenstiehl, ''Seismological Research Letters.'' July/August 2005 (listen to [http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news/2005/images/tsun_eq.mp3 MP3 file])
'''Social sciences, reports & commentaries:'''
*[http://www.cgs.uiuc.edu/about/Events/Globalr.html Tsunami Disaster and the Globalization of Relief] Analysis of the Tsunami Disaster from multiple viewpoints with academia with Streaming Video and Power Point Slides
*[http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVLPages/AsiaPages/Tsunami-Analyses.html 2004 Tsunami Disaster: Scholarly and Factual Analyses]
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===Images and video===
====Photos====
*[http://www.futura-sciences.com/communiquer/g/showgallery.php/cat/543 Tsunami pictures, gallery of photos, satellites images …].
*[http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1943&pxo=0 Latest photos from Nias Off the coast of Northern Sumatra] Aftershocks continue...
*[http://www.waveofdestruction.org/satellite.php Satellite photos with DHTML image comparison].
*[http://snipurl.com/bo10 Yahoo! Slideshows — Asian Tsunami Disaster]
*[http://www.digitalvoodoo.de/blog/archives/asien/phi-phi-island-verwuestet.php Photos during and after the destruction of Koh Phi Phi Island]
*[http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/tsunami/tsunami.html Satellite images of tsunami-affected areas (National University of Singapore)] Microwave Image
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*[http://www.golakechelan.net/index.php?page_id=301 Phuket Island, Thailand]
*[http://mapsherpa.com/tsunami/ Interactive Mapping of Affected Regions]
*[http://thanks4supporting.us/tsunami-aftermath-penang-island-malaysia.html Images :: Tsunami Aftermath — Penang Island, Malaysia] life after the tsunami
*[http://thanks4supporting.us/visit-to-kota-kuala-muda.html Images :: Visit to Kota Kuala Muda, Kedah, Malaysia] Relief work in the northern state
*[http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/tsunami Tsunami photos] at [[Flickr]]
*[http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv Images/video :: Maldives Tsunami photo] www.tsunamimaldives.mv
*[http://www.tsunamis.com/tsunami-pictures.html Tsunamis.com - 2004 Asian Tsunami Pictures]
*[http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-The-Great-Earthquake-and-Catastrophic-Tsunami-of-2004.htm ChamorroBible.org: The Great Earthquake and Catastrophic Tsunami of 2004] — Six photo essays published 3 January 2005 to 8 January 2005 in the Chamorro and English languages on ''ChamorroBible.org'' (United States). Includes images of the humanitarian and relief efforts.
*[http://www.photoduck.com/pollyfodder Photo and News archive of Dec 26 and March 28 Earthquakes] (Registered user)
*[http://www.humanityashore.org Humanity Ashore - from Sri Lanka]
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====Videos====
*[http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1856&pxo=0 NEW VIDEOS - Tsunami Hits Chennai India (Added 29 June), The Psychological Aftermath (Added June), Children of the Boxing Day tsunami (Added June)all available in HD]
*[http://www.asiantsunamivideos.com/ Large Collection of Amateur Tsunami Videos with Thunbnail Images and Detailed Descriptions]
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*[http://www.chrisvalentines.com/projects/tsunami.html "275000"-"and Gaia shuddered" a PSA and memorial video]
*[http://www.waveofdestruction.org/ Tsunami Video Blog,updated daily]
*[http://www.photoduck.com/photos.aspx?gid=1856&pxo=0Several New Video Compilations (May 2005)]From the Tsunami Archive (Australia)
*{{Google Video Search}}
===Forums and discussion===
Sites to help family and friends locate missing loved ones are listed on the "[[Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake#Links to search for missing people|Links to search for missing people]]" section of the "[[Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]]" page.
*[http://www.ceneus.com/tsunami/ Condolence Book] Offer your condolences to the victims of the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
*[http://blog.nodvin.net/index.php?p=69 A discussion of "What causes Tsunamis" and how those concerned about or working on environmental issues can work to accurately describe the disaster.]
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