Case study - Indian Ocean 2004 Flashcards
On what date did the tsunami take place?
26th December 2004
What magnitude did the resultant earthquake register?
9.1 (3rd largest since 1900)
How long was the stretch of faultline that was estimated to have experienced a slip?
1600km
What volume of sea water was estimated to have been displaced?
30 Cubic kilometers
How many Sri Lankan’s died despite the tsunami taking 2 hours to reach their shores?
31,000
Due to lack of warning system in Indian Ocean
When did a warning system begin to operate within the Indian Ocean?
2006
How did population density + proportion below the poverty line impact vulnerability?
High densities + destitute populations made hazard impacts more difficult to manage
E.g., Sri Lankan coast, 900 per sq/km, many of which lived at
subsistence levels
Which affected nation was supposedly the most vulnerable + why?
The Maldives
Very little land more than a couple of meters above sea level
What was the death toll of the Maldives + why?
Roughly 100
Coral reefs (protected by government) acted as natural defense
Give the impacts to human life presented by the event
5 million affected
Roughly 300,000 deaths
1.7 million homeless
Highest death toll of any tectonic event in history
What did Oxfam estimate account for as many as 1/3 of the deaths?
Children
Many unable to swim
How + why did male and female death rates differ in many coastal towns?
Almost 4 times more women died
Many waited for returning fishermen
Many stayed to protect children
How many required emergency aid after the event?
5-6 million
What % of villagers were killed in many coastal settlements?
70%
What were the impacts upon Thailand’s tourism industry?
Monthly losses of USD$25 million
120,000 jobs lost
