Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004: observations in Sri Lanka and Thailand

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

On December 26, 2004 a great earthquake (M W 9.3) occurred off the western coast of Sumatra triggering a series of tsunami waves that propagated across the Indian Ocean causing damage and life loss in 12 countries. This paper summarizes the observations of lifeline performance, building damage and its distribution, and the social and economic impact of the tsunami made by the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) in Thailand and Sri Lanka. EEFIT operates under the umbrella of the UK’s Institution of Structural Engineers. It is observed that good engineering practice can reduce economic losses, but additional measures are required to reduce risk to life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ADB (2005) Preliminary damage and needs assessment. 2005 Post-Tsunami Recovery Program, prepared by Asian Development Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation and World Bank, January 10–28, 2005

  • AIST (2005) December 26 tsunami in Indian Ocean. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan. http://staff.aist.go.jp/kenji.satake/Sumatra-E.html

  • Ambraseys NN (1962) Data for the investigation of the seismic sea-waves in the Eastern Mediterranean. Bull Seismol Soc Am 52(4):895–913

    Google Scholar 

  • Annunziato A, Best C (2005) The tsunami event analyses and models. Report of the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, Joint Research Centre, European Commission. January 2005

  • Bell R, Cowan H, Dalziell E, Evans E, O’Leary M, Rush B, Yule L (2005) Survey of impacts on the Andaman coast, southern Thailand following the great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 2004. Bull New Zeal Soc Earthquake Eng 38(3):123–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Blong R, Weir B, Milauskas B (2005) 26th December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: the geophysical event. GAPResponse 3 – Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Benfield ReMetrics Report, Benfield Group Ltd., 14 January 2005. http://www.benfieldgroup.com/Media+Centre/research+and+publications/#

  • BS6399-2 (1997) Loading for buildings: code of practice for wind loads. British Standards Insitute

  • Central Bank Annual Report (2005) Annual report of the Monetary Board to the Hon. Minister of Finance for the Year 2004. Central Bank of Sri Lanka, April 29, 2005

  • Dalrymple RA, Kriebel DL (2005) Lessons in engineering from the tsunami in Thailand. The Bridge, National Academy of Engineering, Washington, US 35(2):4–13

  • Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka (2004) Reports on census of buildings and people affected by the tsunami. www.statistics.gov.lk

  • DPRI (2005) Comprehensive analysis of the damage and its impact on coastal zones by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. Kyoto University Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Japan. http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/sumatra2004/report.html

  • EEFIT (2006) The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004: mission findings in Sri Lanka & Thailand. Pomonis A, Rossetto T, Peiris N, Wilkinson SM, Del Re D, Koo R, Gallocher S, Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) Report, The Institution of Structural Engineers, London, UK. http://www.eefit.org.uk

  • IMF (2005) Preliminary assessment of the macroeconomic impact of the tsunami disaster on affected countries, and of associated financing needs, prepared by the IMF in Cooperation with the World Bank, February 4, 2005

  • Liu PLF, Lynett P, Fernando H, Jaffe BE, Fritz H, Higman B, Morton R, Goff J, Synolakis C (2005) Observations by the international tsunami survey team in Sri Lanka. Science 308(5728):1595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lukkunaprasit P, Ruangsassamee A (2005) Observations on building performance in the Asian tsunami disaster and university roles. Presentation at the SOI Asia special symposium sharing knowledge across borders – tsunami: lessons learned and universities’ role. February 24, 2005, Bangkok, Thailand. http://www.soi.wide.ad.jp/soi-asia/conference/tsunami/

  • NASA (2005) Earthquake spawns tsunami. Natural Hazards, NASA Earth Observatory. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12640

  • Papadopoulos GA, Imamura F (2001) A proposal for a new tsunami intensity scale. ITS Proceedings Session 5(5-1):569–577

    Google Scholar 

  • Peiris LMN (2006) Vulnerability functions for tsunami loss estimation. Proceedings of the First European conference on earthquake engineering and seismology, European Association for Earthquake Engineering and European Seismological Commision, September 3–8, 2006, Geneva, Switzerland. CD-Rom

  • Peiris N, Pomonis A, Wilkinson SM, Del Re D, Gallocher S (2006) Sri Lanka. In: The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004: mission findings in Sri Lanka & Thailand. Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) Report, The Institution of Structural Engineers, London, UK, pp 50–124. http://www.eefit.org.uk

  • Rossetto T, Pomonis A, Wilkinson SM, Koo R (2006) Thailand. In: The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004: mission findings in Sri Lanka & Thailand. Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) Report, The Institution of Structural Engineers, London, UK, pp 125–173. http://www.eefit.org.uk

  • Shuto N (1993) Tsunami intensity and disasters. In: Tinti S (ed), Tsunami in the world. Kluwer Academic Pubishers, Dordrecht, pp 197–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein S, Okal EA (2005) Speed and size of the Sumatra earthquake. Nature 434(31):581–582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tourism Authority of Thailand (2005) Statements and news releases from hotels, resorts and travel operators. Crisis Centre Update Centre, January 2005. http://www.tatnews.org/ccc/2412.asp and http://www.tatnews.org/others/2385.asp

  • Thai Ministry of Education (2005) Report on construction of school buildings in 4 provinces affected by tsunami. Web Report: http://www.moe.go.th/icpmoe/Other/Translated_News/Tsunami/school-buildings4-provinces.pdf

  • UNICEF (2005) Children in Tsunami Affected Countries. http://www.unicef.org/media/media_24628.html#facts

  • USGS (2004) Preliminary earthquake report 26 December 2004. U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center, World Data Center for Seismology, Denver. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/

  • Warnitchai P (2005) Lessons learned from the 26 December 2004 tsunami disaster in Thailand. Scientific forum on the tsunami: its impact and recovery. A regional symposium. Asian Institute Technology, Thailand, 6–7th June 2005

  • Wijetunge J (2006) Tsunami on 26 December 2004: spatial distribution of tsunami height and the extent of inundation in Sri Lanka. Sci Tsunami Hazard 24(3):225–239

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2006) World bank note on post-tsunami recovery and reconstruction, April 2006

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    T. Rossetto

  2. Risk Management Solutions Ltd., 30 Monument Street, London, EC3R 8NB, UK

    N. Peiris & D. Del Re

  3. Risk Management Solutions Ltd., 1 Achilleos Street, Aghia Paraskevi, Athens, 15342, Greece

    A. Pomonis

  4. School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, UK

    S. M. Wilkinson

  5. Arup, Level 5 Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China

    R. Koo

  6. Halcrow Group Ltd., The Octagon, 35 Baird Street, Glasgow, G4 0EE, UK

    S. Gallocher

Authors
  1. T. Rossetto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. Peiris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Pomonis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. M. Wilkinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. D. Del Re
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. R. Koo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. S. Gallocher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Rossetto.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rossetto, T., Peiris, N., Pomonis, A. et al. The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004: observations in Sri Lanka and Thailand. Nat Hazards 42, 105–124 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-9064-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-9064-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation