Support HistoryMaps

Settings

Dark Mode

Voice Narration

3D Map

MapStyle
HistoryMaps Last Updated: 02/01/2025

© 2025 HM


AI History Chatbot

Ask Herodotus

Play Audio

Instructions: How it Works


Enter your Question / Request and hit enter or click the submit button. You can ask or request in any language. Here are some examples:


  • Quiz me on the American Revolution.
  • Suggest some books on the Ottoman Empire.
  • What were the causes of the Thirty Year's War?
  • Tell me something interesting about the Han Dynasty.
  • Give me the phases of the Hundred Years’ War.
herodotus-image

Do you have a question about History?


ask herodotus

History of Republic of India

2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami


History of Republic of India

2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami

2004 Dec 26 07:58
Indian Ocean
2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
Overturned cement carrier in Lhoknga © Image belongs to the respective owner(s).

On December 26, 2004, a massive undersea megathrust earthquake, known as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7). This devastating earthquake, measuring between 9.1 and 9.3 on the moment magnitude scale, was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. It was caused by a rupture along the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate, reaching a Mercalli intensity of up to IX in some areas.


The earthquake triggered a colossal tsunami with waves reaching up to 30 meters (100 feet) high, infamously referred to as the Boxing Day Tsunami. This tsunami ravaged communities along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, resulting in an estimated 227,898 deaths across 14 countries. The disaster particularly impacted regions such as Aceh in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu in India, and Khao Lak in Thailand, with Banda Aceh reporting the highest number of casualties. It remains the deadliest natural disaster of the 21st century.


This event was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Asia and the 21st century, and one of the most powerful in the world since modern seismography began in 1900. The earthquake had an extraordinarily long duration of faulting, lasting between eight and ten minutes. It caused significant vibrations of the planet, measuring up to 10 mm (0.4 in), and even triggered remote earthquakes as far away as Alaska.

Page Last Updated: 10/13/2024

Support HistoryMaps

There are several ways to support the HistoryMaps Project.

Shop Now
Donate
Say Thanks