Film: The Wave That Shook the World

The film discussed the earthquake in the Indian ocean that triggered the Dec. 26 2004
tsunami. The movie was a documentary that told the story of how the tragedy unfolded and the
devastation that was the aftermath. The earthquake took place off the Sumatra trench in the
Indian Ocean where the tectonic plate is a subduction zone. The movement of the sea floor
lifting and then being pushed triggered a 9.0 earth quake that caused a tsunami that hit the coastal
regions of the Indian ocean. The water rose from the sea floor lifting and then the water split into
two shooting off in both directions going approximately 1,000 km per hour. The tsunami waves
moved east and westward across the ocean. The coastlines of Sumatra, Indonesia, Thailand,
India and Africa were hit with a tsunami.

The documentary explained the reality of the tsunami and devastation very well. They
interviewed people who survived the tragedy. The film showed actual footage of the tsunami
rushing on the shore lines of the countries hit. It also showed the messy aftermath once the waves
retreated.

Sumatras shoreline was hit by the tsunami only fifteen minutes after the earth quake
struck. Thailands shoreline was hit one hour after the earth quake struck 5,000 and 8,000 people
died. Fifteen minutes after the first wave the second one hit and was even bigger causes intense
damage. Several waves usually arrive at different periods of time. The death toll in Indonesia
was estimated at among 130,000 to 160,000 people, and about 500,000 people left homeless. In
Sri Lanka, the tsunami hit the shore about 90 minutes after the earthquake and 35,000 people
died. 15,000 people died in India. The disaster left buildings in ruins. People who survived were
displaced from their homes. Large oceanic vessels were push up on the shore that were too big to
move back to the ocean and remain stuck on land. It is estimated that 230,000 people lost their
lives.

In North America, we have a network of ocean sensors off of the Pacific ocean that
detects earthquakes. The governments surrounding the Indian ocean should have their own
systems to detect earthquakes in their regions. This would have been helpful in providing a
warning system for the people about a tsunami. Tsunami education needs to be given to people,
however the people of Sumatra only had fifteen minutes from the time the earth quake took place
and the tsunami hit. This would not have given the government enough time to warn their
people. Africa was the last continent hit by the tsunami. Scientists were able to warn the African
government that a tsunami was coming and they were able to clear people away from the
coastline. They experienced only two casualties.

The disaster left a huge mess of debris that covered several miles inland on the coastlines
of countries hit with the tsunami. Clean up efforts have become a major task, leaving unsanitary
conditions and litter lining the coastlines. Debris from the tsunami washed out into the ocean.
Families were torn apart and may never fully recover from the devastation. The earthquake
shifted the mass of the earth off balance.
Work Cited:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YOf44bNzw4

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tsunami-devastates-indian-ocean-coast
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2014/dec/25/human-financial-
cost-indian-ocean-tsunami-interactive
Grilli, Stphan T., et al. "Source constraints and model simulation of the December 26, 2004,
Indian Ocean Tsunami." Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering 133.6
(2007): 414-428.

Ioualalen, M., et al. "Modeling the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: Case study of
impact in Thailand." Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 112.C7 (2007).