Indonesia+(2004)

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__**Indonesia 2004**__

The magnitude 9.0 December 26, 2004, earthquake near Sumatra is the largest earthquake to occur since the 1964 Alaska quake and the fourth largest in this century.
> 300 km (185 miles) W of **Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia** > 1260 km (780 miles) SSW of **BANGKOK, Thailand** > 1590 km (990 miles) NW of **JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia** >> >> The epicenter of the earthquake was about 250 kilometers off the west coast of Aceh Province. Strong to violent shaking in Aceh Province reportedly lasted five to six minutes. Banda Aceh was the only major city that experienced earthquake-shaking damage. One- to two-story, traditional, concrete-frame and wood-frame buildings survived well and were largely undamaged by the strong ground shaking. However, because the earthquake occurred a significant distance offshore, the resulting long-period ground motions caused serious damage to, or the collapse of, buildings more than three stories high. >> A compounding problem was tectonic subsidence resulting in 20 to 100 centimeters of down-warping of the Earth’s crust beneath the Aceh region. The subsidence extends for at least 280 kilometers along the entire northwestern Aceh coast (Figure 1—see PDF version for figures). This submergence thwarted rescue efforts and has hindered the restoration of roads, bridges, and utility distribution systems. >> The fault rupture uplifted the ocean floor, releasing the most destructive series of tsunami waves in recorded history. The waves spread throughout the Indian Ocean, causing damage in the coastal communities of 12 countries. By far, the most damaging effects were sustained by Aceh Province, where three devastating waves struck the western shore within about 30 minutes. The tsunami waves ranged from 4 to 39 meters high and destroyed more than 250 coastal communities. > The state-owned Pertamina petroleum company suffered substantial damage to fuel depots, where storage facilities were damaged and some fuel was lost, mostly on the west coast of Aceh Province, particularly in Banda Aceh and south to Meulaboh. The deep-water port at Kreung Raya, the petroleum storage and distribution facility, lost half of its above-ground piping and 3 of 12 liquid fuel (diesel, high-octane gas, oil, and kerosene) storage tanks. None of the tanks was anchored to its foundations, and the three that were swept away by tsunami waves were only partially full. The nine full storage tanks were not affected. As with the electric system, most above-ground distribution systems were seriously damaged or destroyed by the tsunami. > Roads and bridges were devastated by the force of the tsunami waves. Many bridges were swept off their supports, and connecting earth embankments were significantly scoured, disabling the transportation network for hundreds of kilometers along the west coast of Aceh Province. Hundreds of bridges were picked up and swept inland by the tsunami waves, some more than a kilometer. The extensive damage to bridges severely constrained rescue and relief efforts, as the bridges had been vital links to population centers in the region. Many of the bridges on the coastal road to Meulaboh were destroyed and washed away, and sections of the road disappeared, which isolated many small communities. Survivors could be reached only by boat or helicopter. In addition, the destruction of the bridges resulted in the disruption of the electric distribution system at bridge crossings. > Although earlier reconnaisances reported no evidence of liquefaction, earthquakes of this magnitude and duration commonly cause liquefaction in coastal areas. These liquefaction effects may have been the deciding factor in the destruction of the PT PNL 1-megawatt power plant on the coast at Calang. > A record a number of aftershocks were recorded after the main earthquake. The larger ones are labelled (with magnitudes) on the poster but many, many more can also be seen. Almost every squiggle on the Boxing Day record is an aftershock from the big event (except for one magnitude 5.4 event in the Philippines). > Occasionally a smaller magnitude event, say a magnitude of 5.3, looks larger than a bigger event, say 6.3. Magnitudes are calculated by averaging a number of stations. The swing of the pen is not always a good indicator of magnitude; the duration of vibration is often better. A deeper earthquake is often more clearly recorded by a big swing of the pen. > Vibration continued after the main earthquake for about 3 hours, as waves travel outwards from the rupture, reflecting and refracting from various layers, and travelling at various speeds. For the main shock and the largest aftershock, long period surface waves can be seen well after the P arrival. Even for some of the magnitude 6.2 to 6.5 aftershocks small long period waves can be seen. Long period seismographs measure strong movement for many hours after big events, and very long period seismographs show movement for days.
 * Date-Time: **Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 (UTC)** = Coordinated Universal Time
 * Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 7:58:53 AM** = local time at epicenter
 * Absolute location of epicentre: 3.316°N, 95.854°E **__epicentre map__**
 * Location: off west coast of northern sumatra
 * Distances: 250 km (155 miles) SSE of **Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia**
 * Depth: 30 km (18.6 miles) set by location program
 * magnitude: 8.0
 * The Sumatra subduction zone is where the Indian plate dives beneath the Asian plate along a fault that dips about 20o into the Earth.
 * The India and Australian plates move toward the north- northeast with respect to the interior of the Eurasia plate with velocities of about 60 mm/y in the region of the earthquake. In the region of northern Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands, most of the relative motion of India/Australia and the Eurasia plate is accommodated at the Sunda trench and within several hundred kilometers to the east of the Sunda trench, on the boundaries of the Burma plate.
 * The earthquake was felt at Banda Aceh, at Meulaboh and at Medan, Sumatra and in parts of Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
 * Because of the low dip angle, earthquakes can rupture along a very large surface area of the fault, producing such large magnitudes. In fact, the 10 largest earthquakes since 1900 have occurred at subduction zones.
 * caused by the release of stresses that develop as the India plate subducts beneath the overriding Burma plate. The India plate begins its descent into the mantle at the Sunda trench which lies to the west of the earthquake's epicenter.
 * The 26 December main shock occurred as the result of thrust faulting on the western Burma-plate boundary, but many strike-slip faulting aftershocks occurred on the eastern plate boundary.
 * In total, 227,898 people were killed or were missing and presumed dead and about 1.7 million people were displaced by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa.
 * The zone of aftershocks to the 26 December earthquake is over 1300 km long.
 * The huge and destructive tsunami was the direct result of the earthquake disturbing the seafloor and displacing an enormous volume of water. The disturbance spreads from the epicenter like ripples in a pond but, unlike circular ripples, is stronger in some directions than others due to the nature of the faulting.
 * The tsunami caused more casualties than any other in recorded history and was recorded nearly world-wide on tide gauges in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Seiches were observed in India and the United States. Subsidence and landslides were observed in Sumatra. A mud volcano near Baratang, Andaman Islands became active on December 28 and gas emissions were reported in Arakan, Myanmar.
 * The resulting tsunami affected 12 nations around the Indian Ocean, with Indonesia suffering the greatest damage. In Aceh, the northern province of Sumatra, the United Nations (UN) Field Office reported approximately 131,000 people confirmed dead and 37,000 missing. With more than 80,000 houses sustaining major damage or collapse, the UN estimated that more than 500,000 people were displaced from their homes in Sumatra alone. In addition to the massive damage to housing, utilities, roads, and bridges, the disaster significantly disrupted the social fabric and government of the affected communities.
 * **Shaking Damage**
 * **Fault Deformation**
 * **+Tsunami Damage**
 * **Gas and Liquid Fuel Facilities**
 * **Roads and Bridges**
 * **Liquefaction**
 * **Aftershocks**

WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE EARTHQUAKE?
 The natural disaster caused immense social, economic, and environmental devastation to areas that were already poor

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

 * Solid waste and disaster debris remain the most critical environmental problem faced by the countries. The sheer magnitude of the disaster meant that the volume and nature of the disaster debris was far beyond the coping capacities of the cities and towns that were affected. Disposing these wastes in an environmentally appropriate manner, and recycling the waste where possible (for example, crushing of concrete and brick to produce aggregate for road and building construction) have been identified as critical priorities.


 * Contamination of soil and water was the second key environmental impact of the tsunami. Salination of water bodies such as rivers, wells, inland lakes, and groundwater aquifers has occurred in many of the affected countries. This has also affected the soil fertility of agricultural lands, due to salination and debris contamination, which will affect yields in the medium and long term. Some water bodies have been contamination by damaged or destroyed septic tanks and toilets, with sewage infiltrating the water supply system.


 * Besides the massive human toll of more than one million killed or displaced, the economic destruction and environmental damage of the Sumatra Island was extensive. Coral reefs, mangroves, coastal areas, wetlands, agricultural fields and forests, aquaculture areas etc. were badly damaged.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

 * Cities and towns in the coastal area were extensively damaged, including industrial areas and ports.
 * In Indonesia, Aceh, is rich in resources but far from crucial to overall output.
 * According to the Indonesian government, the damage and losses from the tsunami amount to 2% of Indonesia's GDP, and more than 97% of Aceh's GDP. The total cost of rebuilding is estimated at $4.5bn.
 * Unemployment remains high, and hundreds of people are making their living picking through the debris looking for any usable items. The United Nations plans to hire thousands of survivors, many of them refugee camp residents, to clear the streets and help in the rebuilding effort.
 * Despite the devastation, some businesses are now gradually reopening, and hotels and cafes are bringing in revenue by catering for foreign aid workers.
 * Most experts predict it will take at least five years for Aceh to fully recover, and the UN has warned that more funds will be needed for longer-term reconstruction efforts.
 * poverty levels increased slightly in Aceh in 2005 after the tsunami, but by less than expected. The poverty level then fell in 2006 to below the pre-tsunami level, suggesting that the rise in tsunami-related poverty was short lived and reconstruction activities and the end of the conflict most probably facilitated this decline. However, poverty in Aceh remains significantly higher than in the rest of Indonesia and a large number of the Acehnese remain vulnerable, reinforcing the need for a smooth landing after the reconstruction boom ends.

POLITICAL IMPACTS
> The 2004 tsunami helped trigger a peace agreement between the GAM and the Indonesian government. It drew a lot of international attention to the conflict, wiped out many supplies, and killed many personnel from both sides. Earlier efforts had failed, but for a number of reasons, including the tsunami, peace prevailed in 2005 after 29 years of war. Post-[|Suharto] Indonesia and the liberal-democratic reform period, as well as changes in the Indonesian military, helped create an environment more favorable to peace talks. The roles of newly elected President [|Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] and Vice President [|Jusuf Kalla] were highly significant. At the same time, the GAM leadership was undergoing changes, and the Indonesian[| military] had arguably inflicted so much damage on the rebel movement that it had no choice but to negotiate with the central government. As part of the agreement, the [|European Union] dispatched 300 [|monitors]. Their mission expired on December 15, 2006, following local elections.
 * The war was still going on when the Tsunami Disaster of 2004 struck the province.


 * The tsunami crippled some of local government capacities, which had already grown inefficient, corrupt, and highly elitist due to jagged central-local relations after three decades of conflict. This explained their poor performance in handling the immediate aftermath of the tsunami. The military was pretty damaged as well thus shifting the priority to humanitarian emergency relief.
 * This are some examples of humanitarean aid given to Banda Aceh:

Coastal tourist centres have been destroyed. || State of emergency issued by the government. Evacuation procedures for some islands in operation. || [] http://www.mywebschool.org/postnuke/modules.php?file=article&mode=thread&name=News&op=modload&order=0&sid=131&thold=0
 * Country || Deaths* || Damage || Support/Action ||
 * Andaman and Nicobar Islands || 900 || Coastal villages and roads washed away || Air force planes delivering supplies. Many communities remain isolated ||
 * Bangladesh || 2 || Small regions. Most of the population live inland || No support requested ||
 * Burma || 64 || Very little information is being made available from the government. Reports of some islands being flooded.... || The government has not requested international aid. ||
 * Indonesia || 101318 || Aceh, near the epicentre, suffered large building damage, and devastation by the Tsumanis. Thousands left homeless || UN to send disaster teams. Political problems in this region could cause delays ||
 * India || 8800 || Coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Keral affected. Fishing ports devastated. || Coordination of relief is being reduced by the effects of the Tsunami o­n the capital city of Tamil Nadu ||
 * Maldives || 82 || Significant damage to many islands. Some islands have been evacuated.
 * Malaysia || 68 || Many tourists have been reported to have been swept away from the beaches. Hotels and seaside resorts destroyed. || Australia is providing freight aircraft. The aircraft will carry fresh water, blankets and water purification supplies. ||
 * Somalia || 300 || Almost 3750 miles from the epicentre, Somalia suffered extensive damage by the Tsunami. Coastal villages and towns reported to have been destroyed. || UNICEF sending teams to assist with relief procedures. Political instability in this country could give raise to problems with rapid and effective aid measures. ||
 * Thailand || 4000+ || Coastal resorts devastated. Estimated 7300 people have been injured || US offered to send troops to assist with aid and relief efforts. ||
 * Sri Lanka || 30500 || Extensive devastation. || A relief operation is in operation. There are still problems related to assistance given to NE part of the country by the government of Sri Lanka ||