Earthquake of December 26th, 2004

The December 26th 2004 with 00:58 min 53 S UTC (7. 58 min 53 S local time with Jakarta and Bangkok) took place in broad island indonésienne of Sumatra a seism of a magnitude from 9,1 to 9,3. The epicentre was located at.

The earthquake caused a tidal wave (or tsunami) which struck the Indonesia, coasts of the Sri Lanka and the south of the India, particularly in the State of the Tamil Nadu, as well as the south of the Thailand and the tourist island of Phuket. The assessment in human losses is catastrophic: according to the official results of the June 26th 2005, there are at least 222.046 died and disappeared (between 216.000 and 232.000 died according to the various evaluations).

The tsunami could however have been envisaged. The wave propagation of tsunami indeed took several hours to reach some of the touched countries]]

The earthquake was initially evaluated with a magnitude of 8,5, revised to 8,9, to finish to 9,1 according to the American geological Institute (USGS). At the places where the movement was most extremely on the fault, displacements reached 15 to 20 m, is equivalent to the explosion of 500 megatons TNT or more than 30.000 bombs of Hiroshima. In spite of several important seisms these last years in this area: 7.9 in 2000 and 7.4 in 2002, it appears that the slip of the Indian plate under microplaque Andaman was blocked. This blocking, because of continuous push of the Indian plate, accumulated enormous constraints and when the bolt ended up yielding, the abrupt readjustment allowed the displacement of the higher plate of about fifteen meters. This brutal and particularly energetic movement gave an impulse to all the water column located above, giving rise to a series of giant waves (not very on the open sea high, but of large Wavelength - several tens of kilometers, and very rapids: between 500 and 800 km/h).

The considerable wavelength of these giant waves puts moving a colossal water mass compared to ordinary waves. This mass moving at very high speed contains an enormous energy, which explains its capacity of destruction when it comes to run up against constructions of the shore.

The big wavelength makes that the slope of vagueness is very weak especially when the depth of water is important. Thus, of the fishermen off the coasts did not even feel the Tsunami when it passed under their ship. Of return to ground they did not include/understand immediately what had been able to devastate the coast.

The seism itself was felt in several countries of the area, of which the islands Maldives, the Sri Lanka, the India, the Bangladesh, Myanmar (the ex- Burma), the Thailand, the Malaysia and Singapore. However, beyond these countries, the Tidal wave (or “Tsunami S” in Japanese) which followed are at the origin of the greatest number of victims, because their effects were felt on all the circumference of the Indian Ocean, to the East-African coasts of Somalia and the French island of the Réunion, or the north-western coasts of the Australia (see animation and the chart higher).

Counterparts and other seisms

Seismic activity after the seism over December 26th

Very many counterparts of the seism of the 12/26/2004 were recorded during the months which followed. Forty these counterparts exceeded the magnitude 6. Among them, two seisms magnitude higher than 7 occurred with broad of the Îles Nicobar. First place had 4 hours after the seism magnitude 9, the second approximately 7 months later on July 24th, 2005. In chart (see figure opposite), the zone of counterparts corresponds approximately to the zone of fault which broke at the time of the earthquake of the 26/12.

More than one year after, the seismic activity continues to be high in this zone. In May 2006, a violent jolt magnitude 6,8 shook Sumatra again, and the island of Denied.

Anecdotic coincidences

The seism of December 26th occurred three days after another seism magnitude 8,1 in a oceanic area, in the south-west of the New Zealand (epicentre 50,15° S-160,36° E). Usually, one counts one seism magnitude equal or higher than eight per annum on average. Nevertheless, in spite of this proximity in time, these two seisms are independent and nothing indicates that they can be connected mechanically.

One can note, in a more anecdotic way, than the seism of the 12/26/2004 occurred one year day for day (with a margin of one hour) compared to the fatal seism of Bam in Iran, magnitude 6,6, where 30 000 people had found death.

Other major consequences

The total energy delivered by a seism magnitude 9,0 is equivalent to that of 500 Mégatonne S of TNT, or about the Exa Joule. The release of energy, extremely fast and localized, was absorbed by anelastic deformations of the Earth. It there had, seems it, a negligible impact on the position of the geographical poles - rare phenomenon observed the last time in 1964 at the time of a seism in Alaska.

Large Richard, geophysicist of NASA to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of California, indicated that the duration of the days could have decreased by three Microseconde S. This would come from a displacement of mass towards the center of the Ground. This new was largely mediatized. However, measurements on the rotation of the Earth did not detect anything.

In addition, from the geographical point of view, this seism had important consequences: the charts of the area will be very to re-examine, because the first measurements show material changes, resulting in displacements of elements of the relief (coasts, hills…). According to the majority of the seismic models, displacements on in-depth fault were from 10 to 20 m towards south-west, implying movements perhaps same order of the coasts of Sumatra and certain islands. With these horizontal displacements are added vertical movements (rising or collapse) several meters. Measurements GPS will be carried out on the spot, to determine the extent of the modifications.

Characteristics of the tsunami

The earthquake generated a Tsunami which was propagated concentrically, since the epicentre (with the vertical of the underwater Hypocentre), towards the coasts of the countries of the Indian Ocean and as far as Africa. This tsunami, made up of several series of waves very big wavelength, was most fatal among those ever reported. The last tsunami in this area of the world was caused by the eruption of the Krakatoa in 1883.

The oceanic fault line where the seism occurred is long of 1 200 kilometers and directed North-South. So most of the energy of the tsunami was distributed in the East-West opposite directions. Bangladesh, at the northern end of bay of Bengal, was only far from affected, because of its geographical position. Contrary, the island of Sumatra was struck of full whip by the giant waves. Very distant countries, like Somalia (with a little less 5.000 kilometers of the seism, in Africa), were severely touched. Sri Lanka created a protective barrier for a small portion of the beaches of the south of India; however, at longer distances, the waves were diffracted around the obstacles then joined, like a draft around a cylinder.

The catastrophic assessment can be explained partly for two reasons. On the one hand, the population and the local authorities, not having never been prepared with such a possibility, were taken by surprised - several people survivors paid to have initially been to the meeting of vagueness, “by curiosity”, by noting the spectacular withdrawal of the sea, which announces the imminent arrival of the first giant wave of the tsunami. In addition, there does not exist surveillance device of the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. Although alarm was given in some areas of India by local televisions, information mainly very badly passed, and even seems to be often blocked by fear of the public disorder.

Chronology

0:58 YOU (7. 58 local time) in Indonesia, the Office of geophysics of Djakarta detects a seism a magnitude estimated then at 6,4 on the open scales of Richter on the north of the island indonésienne of Sumatra. The epicentre is localized in the Indian Ocean, with 250 kilometers in the south-east of Sumatra.
1:6 YOU, the Center of alarm on the tsunamis of the Pacific (PTWC) to Hawaii detects the first signals.
1:14 YOU, the PTWC publishes a bulletin in which it gives a report on a jolt to broad of Sumatra and affirms that it there no risk for the area of the Pacifique .
1:38 YOU (8. 38 local time), a first vague beachcomber of fifteen meters (tsunami) has fallen down on the coasts of the province indonésienne of Aceh (Atjeh) in which is held a separatist guerilla for thirty years. At the same moment, the vague key the Islands Nicobar. It is this zone which is devastated by the tidal wave, because near to the epicentre. Publication a few minutes later of the bulletin referring to a probable risk for the Indian Ocean.
1:58 YOU, the tsunami devastates the islands located in the Mer of Andaman and in the Bay of Bengal, the coasts of the south of the Malaysia and the south of Sumatra.
Towards 2:43 YOU, the coasts of the Thailand, the Burma and the Sri Lanka (old Ceylon) are in their turn struck.

In Thailand, the tourist beaches of the South, like Phuket, Khao Lak (11. 5 local time) or Phi Phi, is reached by the water walls. The southernmost point of Burma, frontier of the Thailand, is touched just afterwards. The jolts of the seism are felt in the south of the Bangladesh. In this country, the authorities then listed only two victims.
In India, the tidal waves took place in the morning, in particular in the southernmost State of the Tamil Nadu (east coast). The dams built formerly by the French with Pondichéry protect this city with a surprising effectiveness whereas the neighborhoods are devastated.
First assessment, the tidal waves touched more 800 kilometers of coasts, since the North-East until the south and destroyed the zones (badly) built.

Towards 3:28 YOU, the giant wave breaks on the coasts of the north of India and on those of the Bangladesh, at the bottom of the Bay of Bengal. Singapore is touched, of the jolts are felt there. The Malaysia is protected by Sumatra.
Around 4 a.m. YOU: the Maldives are touched in their turn. The capital Malé is flooded and the 1.192 small islands which count the archipelago are devastated.
Towards 4:21 YOU: A new seism magnitude 5,7 is recorded in the south of the archipelago indonésien.
Around 9 a.m. YOU, the island Rodrigues, then the Mauritius, the Meeting and the Seychelles are in their turn touched. These islands were reached by waves which made damage but any victim.
Around 12 noon YOU, the tsunami arrives on the African coasts of the Somalia and the Tanzania; the damage is less than on the Asian coasts, on the other hand one counts victims.

Source: AFP arranges.

Immediate consequences

Many foreign tourists were in the various countries disaster victims, at the time of the festivals of Christmas. The state of emergency was declared with the Sri Lanka, in Indonesia and in the Maldives. The the United Nations estimate right now that the operation of assistance to the disaster victims will be most expensive of the history.

For information, the jet lags of the affected regions are: UTC+3: (Kenya, Somalia); UTC+4: (Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles); UTC+5: (Maldives); UTC+5: 30: (India); UTC+6: (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka); UTC+6: 30: (Island Coconut, Myanmar); UTC+7: (Indonesia (western), Thailand); UTC+8: (Malaysia, Singapore)

Touched countries

The tsunamis caused by the underwater seism touched the Asia South in the hours which followed the seism, several waves from 3 to 15 meters height broke according to the places, carrying the people who were not at all warned a danger. The waves also reached the East Africa, where in particular a hundred Somali fishermen died.

India

The islands Andaman and Nicobar, located not far from the epicentre of the first seism, are the areas most touched by the catastrophe in India. The first tsunami reached there the coasts in the shape of a 15 height meters wave, in the south of the Nicobar islands. One estimates at 7 000 the number of victims for these two only islands and about as many missings. A fifth of the population of the Nicobar islands was thus touched by the catastrophe, whether the people died, wounded or carried disappeared. The Chowra island in Nicobar lost two thirds of its population, that is to say 500 people. The communications were cut with the archipelago of the Nan Kauri, among which certain islands were entirely submerged; 18 000 people are reported there missing. The base of the Indian Air force with Because Nicobar it was also severely touched, which blocks the deployment of the helps in this area.

On the continental territory of India, it is all the east coast which was touched by the tidal waves: at least 5 is counted; 000 died and of the thousands of wounded and without shelters. In the state of the Tamil Nadu, most severely touched, there is at least 3 200 victims, including 487 with Pondichéry. One counts 89 in State of the Andhra Pradesh. In Kerala, State of the south of the west coast, one counts 174 dead and of the thousands of homeless people. The majority of the victims were fishermen.

In the Tamil Nadu, they are especially women and children who are with the number of the victims. In the town of Nagapattinam, more 1 700 people died; more than 400 with Cuddalore, more than 525 with Kânyâkumârî and more than 200 with Chennai. The helicopters of help could not land on the spot in the hours which followed the passage of the tsunamis, the surroundings of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore being still entirely submerged.

Many pilgrims were killed in the catastrophe, whereas they took a bath crowned in the ocean. Approximately 700 people found themselves trapped with the memorial of Vivekânanda on a small island close to Kânyâkumârî, among which 650 could fortunately be saved. In Chennai, along Marina Beach , the majority of the people being on the beaches, very attended Saturday morning, drowned. Already at least 5 is counted; 000 families of fishermen disappeared for this only bay.

Water also infiltrated in the nuclear complex of Kalpakkam, whose operation was immediately stopped. One reports no damage nor radioactive escape. The Indian Army, the Navy and the coastguards were put at contribution to begin the rescue operations and the deliveries of food to the victims.

Indonesia

The Minister for Health Indonesia N confirmed the temporary estimate of 166 320 dead (on January 19th, 2005). 9 000 people would have died in the capital of Banda Aceh province and its neighborhood cities, where the buildings destroyed by the initial seism amount per dozen. This figure does not include the victims of the west coast of Sumatra. A first official report estimated at 10 000 numbers of died for the only town of Meulaboh (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam), with 160 kilometers in north, reappraised the figure with 40 000, is a third of the population of the city. The north of Sumatra was particularly touched, because the seism had already made major damage there. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless person there.

Information on the myriad of small islands in the west of the coasts of Sumatra is for the moment very thin. These islands are among the poorest areas of Indonesia, with Simeulue and Nias. On the island of only Denied, 122 victims at least are to be deplored ( source: Media Indonesia Online via the ministry for Health); one speaks in fact about 600 dead or more, even 1 000 according to certain information. The confirmation could be done only when the communications are restored: the phone lines all are cut, the radio does not function ( source more: KCM, updates on The Jakarta Post). The last reports/ratios established that the small islands off the island of Denied, in the area of Sirombu, were relatively saved. However, the access to these islands remains very difficult.

Most of the damage results from the various tsunamis having struck the coastal regions from Aceh and from north from Sumatra. Some ten height meters waves submerged the island, going until the Détroit of Malacca and concerning the coasts more in north towards Bireun. The west coast of Sumatra is located at only 100 kilometers of the epicentre of the initial seism, it is thus the first to be touched and certainly most violently. At least five villages were completely shaven; the overflight of the area showed that thousands of houses remain under water. In the provincial towns of Aceh, people survived the first hours of after catastrophe by nourishing coconut and while remaining perched on the roofs of constructions still debouts.

The very significant number of corpses represents a humane and medical challenge, for the identification and the fast burial of deaths. One of the most urgent needs is the routing of plastic bags to wrap the bodies.

Malaysia

The Malaysia was protected by Sumatra, the island being in the straight line between the country and the epicentre of the seism, with the vertical of which the tsunami was formed. Malaysian local televisions also gave alarm in the hour which followed the seism. One counts 63 dead: 49 (2 not identified) with Penang, 10 with Kedah, 3 with Perak and with Selangor.

Among the victims of Penang people who spade-screwed and of the children are who exploited the beach; no foreign tourist is for the moment deceased. One counted, on December 28th at midday, 275 wounded and 4 000 homeless people, mainly of the families established along the coasts of Penang, Kuala Muda in Kedah… For the time being, the principal risks are related to after catastrophe, because of stagnant water and of the lack of food. The shock of the initial seism had been felt in the Twin towers Petronas.

Malaysian the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi curtailed his holidays in Spain to return to the country. The Malaysian government announced that 1.000 MYR (approximately 194 euros) would be allotted to the families of the victims, while 200 MYR (38,80 euros) would be given to the people having been wounded by the tsunami. A compensation for the same amount will be perceived by the displaced persons; 2 000 MYR (approximately 388 euros) will be poured by damaged house, 5.000 MYR (approximately 970 euros) per destroyed house, and of 1 000 with 3 000 MYR will be versed to the fishermen having seen their boat destroyed in the catastrophe.

Coastal collapses occurred during the three days which followed the first earthquake; this phenomenon is perhaps heralding new jolts.

Sri Lanka

August 1st 35.082 died and 4.469 missings.

Islands of Crozet

Although very distant, the archipelago of the Îles Crozet was touched by the tsunami of December 26th, 2004. On the island, the human population exceeds seldom more than 20 people, one thus did not deplore any human loss. On the other hand the wave was engulfed in the manchotières, involving with it hundreds of eggs and young people Manchot S. (See image recording of the Marégraphe.)

Assessment

As for any catastrophe of scale, the assessment of the victims is given as an indication, the figures being certainly inaccurate overall estimates. One established a distinction between the countries directly touched by the catastrophe, and the countries having lost nationals present in these countries at the time of the drama.

Here the detail of the assessments, country by country (the figures are not final):

Indonesia: more than 128.803 dead including at least 700 foreign tourists, 37.066 missings considered died, more than 500.000 moved, nearly 250 destroyed hospitals and dispensaries and 1.755 destroyed or damaged schools.
Sri Lanka: more than 31.000 dead including at least 102 foreign tourists. 23.000 in the zones controlled by the government and 12.000 in the territories controlled by the rebels of the Tigers tamouls. 4.000 missings including 60 foreign tourists, 15.122 wounded and 500.000 moved and 182 destroyed or damaged schools.
India: more than 12.405 died, including at least 8.000 in the State of the Tamil Nadu and 4.000 died in the Indian archipelago of the islands Andaman and Nicobar and 200 damaged schools.
Thailand: more than 5.399 died, including 2.245 foreign tourists and 2.822 missings, including 898 Western tourists. The islands of Phuket and Phi Phi were particularly touched.
Somalia: 298 dead (primarily of the fishermen).
Burma: 61 died and 3.200 displaced persons.
Maldives : 82 died and 26 missings. Most of the Male capital, , is flooded. 130 islands out of the 200 which account the archipelago were affected, of which 41 suffered heavy damage and 14 were evacuated.
Malaysia: 68 dead (on the islands of Penang and Langkawi) including 2 foreign tourists and 299 wounded.
Tanzania: 10 dead.
Seychelles : 3 died, 7 wounded.
Bangladesh: 2 dead.
Kenya: 1 dead.
the Meeting: several pleasure boats run with Sainte-Marie and Saint-Gilles.

In Indonesia, the agency in charge of the humanitarian aid speaks about 126.390 dead and 93.757 missings, a low estimate compared to that of the ministry for the social Affairs which deducted at the end of February 127 420 died and 116 368 missings who could not be entered like deceased before one year. The ministry ceased reactualizing its figures at the end of February.
With the Sri Lanka, the national center in charge of the management of the catastrophes speaks about 31 225 died, against 38 938 for the ministry for Public safety. Each one of these institutions estimates that its estimates are right.

Many foreigners were killed, wounded or disappeared in the seism or following the tidal wave, in particular of many Europeans (Germany, Sweden, more than 500 died or disappeared; Great Britain, Finland, between 100 and 200; Swiss France, , Norway, Austria, about the hundred; many victims originating in Italy, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands, HongKong, Australia, the United States, South Korea, Canada, South Africa, Belgium).

Assessment of this catastrophe :

178.132 dead including at least 3.049 identified foreigners but only 1.870.
43.914 missings including 37.066 considered dead. 958 foreigners but only 410 were identified.
15.428 wounded including 1.471 foreign tourists.
1.003.200 displaced persons.
Diverses sources indicates that many animals were victims of the tsunami, mainly in Indonesia; fauna and the flora were " touched hard " even in Sri Lanka (source: Daily News of Sri Lanka, in connection with the park of Yala).

Final assessment selected

One year after the catastrophe, the December 26th 2005, of many ceremonies of the memory were held in the touched countries and the total and final figure of the victims retained is of 232 approximately 000 for the media, at least 216 858 according to the governments of the coastal countries of the Indian Ocean and 223 492 for the the United Nations.

Humane situation

Taking into account the extent of the destruction, a main effort of humanitarian Aid is to be provided - most important of the history according to the United Nations. epidemic S are dreaded under these difficult conditions of moisture and hygiene; the material destruction blocks the arrival of the helps and the access to certain stricken regions. Moreover, certain areas like the east of Sri Lanka are under rebellious control, which is factor of potential disorganization of foreign aid.

Epidemic risks

The priorities of the government agencies and humanitarians are the identification and the fast burial of the victims, before they become a major health issue (development of the Choléra, Diphtérie, Dysenterie…), as well as the deployment of devices of assistance and medical personnel to help the hospitals and the private clinics, to establish shelters and to provide in vivres, protection and clothes affected populations. The majority of the sources in Drinking water having been soiled by salted mud deposited by the tsunamis, or contaminated by the bodies of the victims, they must be purified in urgency. All that requires heavy equipment and the installation of water supply drinkable while waiting for a re-establishment of the natural sources, which will not intervene before several months.

The displacement of the populations and promiscuity are moreover two factors at the risk which make fear the development of epidemic S with large scales. It is thus paramount to make sure of the drinking water supply, of acheminenent of food and the installation of dry shelters. Thereafter, it will also be necessary to take guard with the modifications of the ecosystem: certain grounds moved following the seism, with vast wide are covered with water stagnant, the constituting whole of new mediums favorable to the development of bacteria, bacilli and mosquitos vector S of the Dengue or the Paludisme.

Finally, no serious epidemic was announced.

Opportunism

Diversion of children

Many organizations benefitted from the tsunami to grow rich.

First of all, of very many people were arrétés, often in-extremis at the time of their departure by the airport, trying to take along separate children their parents by the tsunami. It is probable that others succeeded in fleeing with the children.

For example, in the week which followed the wave, a man was stopped whereas it tried to repatriate with him 40 children to whom it had said that it brought back them to their parents. It is probable that these children were intended for the sale, with the illegal adoption or with the Prostitution (most probable). It seems that illegal organizations as Maffias are behind these operations.

Sale of memories

Hardly two days after the catastrophe, of very many merchants of memories proposed to the tourists printed Tee-shirts " I survived to the tsunami" (I survived the tsunami). The speed of impression of this clothing were necessary taking into account the desired objective to sell them to the tourists before they set out again, even those which precipitated their return. Time having passed, from now on many types of " are found; souvenirs" commemorating the tsunami available.

This way of benefitting from the drama, also quickly, often is perceived like a lack of ethics and compassion, especially in occident.

Humanitarian aid

Many gifts quickly emanated from the governments, the humanitarian organizations and the private individuals of the whole of the sphere, in order to offer an financial aid and material. The the World Bank estimates the cost of the humanitarian aid at 5 billion dollars US. The United Nations criticized the bad choice of mobilization of funds coming from Europe and the United States, the general under-secretary with humanitarian associations Jan Egeland qualifying the Western countries initially “skinflints”, although it was defended some thereafter, by estimating that its remarks “had been badly interpreted”. With a later press conference, Mr. Egeland specified that its comment did not apply to a country in particular, and that the answer had been in fact “extraordinarily positive”. Jan Egeland spoke in fact about the government Aid to the development (APD), not black of the generosity of the developed countries.

At all events, the great number of countries touched by the catastrophe, directly or indirectly, made coordination of the humanitarian aid a crucial point of the management of the crisis. Humanitarian aid is a real challenge, taking into account the number of countries and implied people, as well as local living conditions (political and social). The majority of the governments and organizations non-governmental were grouped under the aegis of the United Nations to set up devices of centralized helps. The humane Portail of the collective ASAH opened a specific file to facilitate coordination and collaboration between ONG French-speaking people.

The gravity of this disaster started a Military operation of humanitarian aid without precedent, with a total volume which one can estimate mid-January 2007 at approximately at 80 000 men, 100 ships, 180 helicopters and 80 transport aircraft, without counting an airlift which implied nearly 75 additional transport aircraft (first contributor: the Armed forces of the United States with 16 500 men).

Table of the gifts according to a source of UNO with the end of January 2005

Here a nonexhaustive list of the assistances of the other countries not represented on the table above:

Algeria: 2 million USD dollars.
Argentinian: promised 2,5 million pastilles to return drinking water.
Kampuchea: 30.000 euros.
China: 2,6 million dollars.
South Korea: 50 million dollars.
Denmark: 1,3 million euros.
Finland: 300.000 euros.
Greece: 300.000 euros.
Hungary: 245.000 euros.
Iran: 627.000 dollars (464 000 euros).
Ireland: 1 million euros.
Luxembourg: 5 million euros.
Morocco: addressed drugs, vaccines and covers.
Poland: a million zlotys (250 000 euros).
Portugal: 8 million euros.
Qatar: 7,4 million euros.
Czech Republic: 328.000 euros.
Romania: 30.000 euros.
Russia: the sending of 25 tons humanitarian aid in Sri Lanka announced.
Swiss: 25 million Swiss francs (~16 million euros).

Private contributions unite with these government aids, as in France where the town halls are opened to the citizens and of the companies drugs send, or in HongKong, where the tycoon Li Ka-Shing announced a gift of 3,1 million US dollars (2,2 million euros), and the film high-speed motorboat of kung fu Jackie Chan and other stars of the cinema promised 1,5 million dollars of HongKong (147 000 euros).

In Switzerland, the national collection of the Chaîne of happiness in favor of the victims of the seism in Asia beat Wednesday, January 5, 2005 all the records, with more than 62 franc million of promises of donations. The president George W. Bush made a personal gift of 10.000 US dollars. On the whole, more than 114 frank million Switzerland (~74 607.329 €) were collected since December 26th.

Sources

Characteristic of the seism and the tsunami

Files of CNRS , IPGP , USGS , and ECA

Catalog seismicity of the USGS

Articles published in Science (Science vol.308 20 May 2005): Lay and Al , The great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake off 26 December 2004 (pages 1127-1133); Ammon and Al , Rupture process off the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (pages 1133-1139); Park and Al Earth' S free oscillations excited by the 26 december 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (pages 1139-1144).

See too

List of the earthquakes.
List of the floods and tidal wave.

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