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Tsunamis in Indian Ocean

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Tsunamis in Indian Ocean

26 December 2004

The ‘Boxing Day’ tsunami that strikes the Indian Ocean region is caused by an earthquake with a magnitude between 9.1 and 9.3 Richter scale. The earthquake triggered a series of lethal tsunamis that killed approximately 230,000 peoples across Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and other countries.

As the epicenter of the earthquake was located about 250km south-southeast of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Banda Aceh accounted for the highest casualties. It was reported that the earthquake caused tsunami waves of up to 15 m high, reaching as far as Somalia on the east coast of Africa which is 4500 km west of the epicenter. This deadliest natural disaster ever recorded in history is an example of tele-tsunami; series of tsunami that travels within vast distances across the open ocean.

26 August 1883

This tsunami event was caused by the explosion of the caldera Krakatau volcano in Indonesia. It lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. The volcanic eruption triggered a series of waves as high as 37 m and demolished towns within the volcanic region. It killed approximately 36,417 peoples. The volcanic explosion of the caldera formed the Anak Krakatau which nowadays is still active.