The tsunami of the great Sumatra earthquake of M 9.0 on 26 December 2004 -: Impact on the east coast of India

An earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred off the coast of Sumatra on 26 December 2004 at 00: 58: 50 (UTC)/ 06: 28: 50 AM (IST). The epicentre of the earthquake was located at 3.29 degrees N and 95.94 degrees E. The focal depth of the earthquake was 30 km. This earthquake generated huge tsunami waves which devastated the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, east coast of India, south Kerala in India and several other countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Somalia in the Indian Ocean. The tsunami claimed more than 250,000 human lives in these countries. The aftershocks of this earthquake, numbering more than 250 in the magnitude range 5 <= M < 7.3, were located for a length of 1300 km from Sumatra in the south to the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the north, till 30 January 2005. A tsunami run-up survey was conducted immediately after the event to study tsunami damages, inundation areas and to obtain estimates of tsunami heights from perishable evidences like watermarks on houses and ocean debris transported inland. This communication presents results on tsunami heights at different locations along the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu.