The Great Indian Ocean Tsunami

Wow ! What an amazing force of energy . These things are no joke . The Great Indian Ocean Tsunami [ December 26 th. 2004 ] devastated many countries in Southeast Asia , killing thousands and leaving leaving millions homeless . According to the U.S. Geological Survey it was estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima – type atomic bombs . When something with that kind of energy strikes , YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE STANDING IN IT”S WAY ! A tsunami , by definiton , is a series of catastrophic waves that are caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions . The earthquake responsible for the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami measured 9.1 – 9.3 . The third largest recorded on seismograph . The epicenter was in the Indian Ocean along a 1,600 km fault surface that slipped 15 meters along the india and Burma plate subduction zone resulting in huge volumes of water being displaced when reaching shore . Actually , the ocean is the safest place to be when a tsunami occurs cause the series of waves produced only measures about a foot in the water . The waves that were dispaced in 2004 were 50 ft high once they reached the shore . The only real warning for Tsunamis are a receeding shore line . After that , you’ve got 5 minutes max to get to safety . I’m glad I was’nt there cause i’m not a real fast runner . Seeing the images on televiision was bad enough .