case study 2014 tsunami

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What was the location of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?

• Where are the Maldives?
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Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004

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• Academia - Tsunami 2004
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Impact of 2004 Tsunami in the Islands of Indian Ocean: Lessons Learned
• NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - JetStream Max: 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
• Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

What was the magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?

The magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 was 9.1.

On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This quake caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas with waves that in some places reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit the shoreline.

How long did the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 last?

The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 lasted for seven hours and reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand, and as far away as East Africa.

How many people died in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?

The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand sustaining massive damage.

Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 , tsunami that hit the coasts of several countries of South and Southeast Asia in December 2004. The tsunami and its aftermath were responsible for immense destruction and loss on the rim of the Indian Ocean.

On December 26, 2004, at 7:59 am local time, an undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra . Over the next seven hours, a tsunami —a series of immense ocean waves—triggered by the quake reached out across the Indian Ocean , devastating coastal areas as far away as East Africa . Some locations reported that the waves had reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit the shoreline.

The tsunami caused one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history, killing at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries, with Indonesia , Sri Lanka , India , Maldives , and Thailand sustaining massive damage. Indonesian officials estimated that the death toll there alone ultimately exceeded 200,000, particularly in northern Sumatra’s Aceh province. Tens of thousands were reported dead or missing in Sri Lanka and India, a large number of them from the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory. The low-lying island country of Maldives reported more than a hundred casualties and immense economic damage. Several thousand non-Asian tourists vacationing in the region also were reported dead or missing. The lack of food, clean water, and medical treatment—combined with the enormous task faced by relief workers trying to get supplies into some remote areas where roads had been destroyed or where civil war raged—extended the list of casualties. Long-term environmental damage was severe as well, with villages, tourist resorts, farmland, and fishing grounds demolished or inundated with debris, bodies, and plant-killing salt water .

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Case Study: Sumatra and Thailand and the 2004 Tsunami

The Importance of Tsunami Warning Systems and the challenges of warning communication.

Think back to the video you watched in Module 7 – which included scenes of the 2004 tsunami event in Indonesia. The beginning of the video focused on the Banda Aceh area of Sumatra, where fishing communities and small coastal cities were completely destroyed, and the end of the video featured the Phuket area, where more tourist beaches were affected.

Through your reading and watching the videos, you hopefully gained an idea of what it is like to be caught in a tsunami with no advanced warning, and how frantic the attempts to get out of the way must be. Imagine what it would be like to try to move small children, sick or elderly people out of the way of a tsunami with before the wave strikes and with no time to spare!

In Module 7, the events in Phuket, Thailand, are described, with tourists enjoying their vacation on the beach at Christmas 2004. Many are oblivious to the dangers of the approaching tsunami. What could have been done differently? If this were to happen again, would these communities be better informed and prepared?

In Module 7 we also mentioned that early warning systems are very tricky because of the challenges of getting the message out soon enough after the earthquake and before the tsunami waves arrive at a particular shoreline. For example, the towns on the west coast of Sumatra are so close to the Andaman fault that they had almost no time to react, so a warning may not have worked, regardless of how well it was transmitted. Banda Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra, was devastated in 2004 because people did not have time to react, while there is evidence that some small nearby island communities fared better where traditional knowledge of the natural warning signs such as the sudden receding of the tidal waters was employed, and residents were able to flee to higher ground. Meanwhile, the tourist destinations of Phuket and Phi Phi, and nearby locations in Thailand had 2 hours, but the warnings were lacking. Visitors lacked necessary knowledge of nature’s warning signs and how to react, and may not have felt the earthquake, so many lives were lost.

In response to the enormous loss of life in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Global Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System was put in place. The Indian Ocean tsunami warning system now integrates the signals from seismographs and DART Buoys and transmits data to 26 national centers. Warnings at the local level are generated in the form of SMS messages, mosque loudspeakers, sirens, and other methods to warn citizens. How well the warnings translate into lives saved due to rapid response and appropriate behaviors by the citizens depends on each step working properly. The failure of one of the steps can lead to disaster. If the citizens do not have the knowledge needed to take effective action, then the process will not work, and lives will be lost.

In 2012 another earthquake occurred near Banda Aceh in the Indian Ocean, so the newly implemented warning systems were put to the test. In this case, no tsunami was generated by the earthquake, but unfortunately, the weaknesses in the system were revealed. Despite the efforts expended to increase levels of tsunami preparedness since 2004, including new tsunami evacuation shelters and education programs, chaos ensued. Hearing the tsunami warning, people panicked and tried to flee by car, resulting in gridlock on the roads. It was clear that better guidance from the local government was needed, including clear evacuation route signage and regular drills. For more detail on this topic, read the National Geographic article Will Indonesia Be Ready for the Next Tsunami? Clearly, more work is still needed and ongoing to address these weaknesses.

Learning Check Point

We will spend a few minutes also revisiting the accounts of historic tsunami events – in particular, the 1960 event and its effects in Chile and Hilo, Hawaii, and the important messages about how to survive a tsunami. Please re-read some of the accounts of survival during tsunami events in Heed Natural Warnings .

Case Study: Toyota's Response to the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami

Toyota, a name synonymous with unparalleled excellence and innovation in the automobile industry, faced one of its most challenging adversities following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011. This natural disaster not only caused significant loss of life and property, but it also brought many industries, including automotive, to a standstill. However, Toyota’s response to this crisis serves as a lesson in resilience, adaptability, and strategic foresight.

1. Immediate Impact of the Disaster

The Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami devastated the Tōhoku region, leading to disruptions in the supply chain. Toyota, like many Japanese automakers, heavily depended on suppliers from this region. As a result, many factories had to halt their operations due to the shortage of essential components.

Losses: Toyota reported that the disaster affected the production of over 150,000 vehicles. Apart from local consequences, this disruption resonated throughout the global market since Toyota is a major player in international car exports.

2. Crisis Management and Initial Response

In the face of adversity, Toyota's management showcased exceptional leadership. They prioritized the safety of their employees and immediately implemented disaster recovery plans.

Employee Safety: Toyota ensured that all its workers were safe, and the ones affected directly by the disaster received the necessary support.

Communication: Transparency with stakeholders was maintained. Toyota updated the public, investors, and its employees regularly about the factory shutdowns and the expected time frame of production resumption.

Supply Chain Evaluation: Given the intricate and interconnected nature of Toyota's supply chain, the company diligently assessed the extent of disruption, evaluating how many of their suppliers were affected.

3. Strategic Shift in Supply Chain Management

Toyota realized that to mitigate such vulnerabilities in the future, a revamp of their supply chain strategy was essential.

Multi-Sourcing: To avoid over-reliance on a single supplier, Toyota started the practice of multi-sourcing, ensuring that even if one supplier faced difficulties, an alternative source was available.

Increased Inventory: Though the "Just-In-Time" system is efficient, in the face of disasters, it can be a liability. Thus, Toyota started keeping slightly higher inventories of critical components.

Supplier Collaboration: Toyota worked closely with its suppliers, helping them in their recovery efforts and ensuring that even the smaller suppliers had robust contingency plans in place.

4. Emphasis on Technological Integration

Post-disaster, Toyota intensified its focus on technology to enhance resilience.

Digital Twin Technology: Toyota employed this to create virtual representations of its supply chain. This tech allowed them to simulate various scenarios and develop effective responses to potential disruptions.

AI & Data Analytics: By analyzing vast amounts of data, Toyota could predict potential supply chain vulnerabilities and take preemptive measures.

5. Long-Term Outcomes of the Strategic Shift

Toyota's strategic decisions post the 2011 disaster bore fruitful results.

Resilient Supply Chain: With the revamped supply chain system, Toyota was better equipped to handle subsequent challenges, including global economic shifts or other natural disasters.

Enhanced Stakeholder Confidence: The company's proactive and transparent approach post-disaster bolstered confidence among investors, customers, and employees.

Industry Benchmark: Toyota's response served as a case study for many corporations worldwide, highlighting the importance of adaptability and foresight in crisis management.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami were unprecedented in their devastation, but they also served as a profound learning experience for global giants like Toyota. By prioritizing the safety of its people, maintaining open communication, and strategically overhauling its supply chain, Toyota transformed a crisis into an opportunity for long-term growth and stability.

In an ever-changing global landscape, Toyota's response to the 2011 disaster underscores the importance of resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning. It serves as a testament to the fact that even in the face of adversity, with the right approach, businesses can not only recover but thrive.

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Case Studies and Recent Developments

• © 2005
• Kenji Satake 0

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan

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• Presents state of the art of tsunami research (papers presented at two international meetings in 2003)
• Practical guide to improve operational tsunami warning system
• Practical guide to mitigate coastal hazard from tsunamis

Part of the book series: Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research (NTHR, volume 23)

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Introduction to Global Tsunami Science: Past and Future, Volume I

Introduction to “Twenty Five Years of Modern Tsunami Science Following the 1992 Nicaragua and Flores Island Tsunamis, Volume II”

Tsunami Occurrence 1900–2020: A Global Review, with Examples from Indonesia

• Pacific Ocean
• coastal hazard
• earthquake prediction
• earthquakes
• volcanic eruption

Table of contents (20 chapters)

Front matter, case studies, 1992–2002: perspective on a decade of post-tsunami surveys.

• C.E. Synolakis, E.A. Okal

The Fiordland Earthquake and Tsunami, New Zealand, 21 August 2003

• W. Power, G. Downes, M. Mcsaveney, J. Beavan, G. Hancox

Timing and Scale of Tsunamis Caused by the 1994 Rabaul Eruption, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea

• Y. Nishimura, M. Nakagawa, J. Kuduon, J. Wukawa

Analysis of Tide-Gauge Records of the 1883 Krakatau Tsunami

• E. Pelinovsky, B. H. Choi, A. Stromkov, I. Didenkulova, H.-S. Kim

Model of Tsunami Generation by Collapse of Volcanic Eruption: The 1741 Oshima-Oshima Tsunami

• K. Kawamata, K. Takaoka, K. Ban, F. Imamura, S. Yamaki, E. Kobayashi

Tsunami Resonance Curve from Dominant Periods Observed in Bays of Northeastern Japan

Delayed peaks of tsunami waveforms at miyako from earthquakes east off hokkaido.

• Y. Namegaya, Y. Tsuji

Field Survey of the 2003 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake Tsunami and Simulation at the Ootsu Harbor Located at the Pacific Coast of Hokkaido, Japan

• Y. Tanioka, Y. Nishimura, K. Hirakawa, F. Imamura, I. Abe, Y. Abe et al.

Variability Among Tsunami Sources in the 17th–21st Centuries Along the Soutehrn Kuril Trench

• K. Satake, F. Nanayama, S. Yamaki, Y. Tanioka, K. Hirata

Holocene Tsunami Traces on Kunashir Island, Kurile Subduction Zone

• A.Ya. Iliev, V.M. Kaistrenko, E.V. Gretskaya, E.A. Tikhonchuk, N.G. Razjigaeva, T.A. Grebennikova et al.

Distribution of Cumulative Tsunami Energy from Alaska-Aleutians to Western Canada

Recent developments, mapping the possible tsunami hazard as the first step towards a tsunami resistant community in esmeraldas, ecuador.

• P. Arreaga-Vargas, M. Ortiz, S. F. Farreras

Progresses in the Assessment of Tsunami Genesis and Impacts around the Portuguese Coasts

• L. Mendes-Victor, A. Ribeiro, L. Matias, M. Ana Baptista, J. Miguel Miranda, P. Miranda et al.

Quick Tsunami Forecasting Based on Database

• H.-J. Lee, Y.-S. Cho, S.-B. Woo

Adjoint Inversion of the Source Parameters of Near-Shore Tsunamigenic Earthquakes

• C. Pires, P. M. A. Miranda

Experimental Design for Solid Block and Granular Submarine Landslides: A Unified Approach

• J. G. Fleming, R. A. Walters, L. P. Sue, R. I. Nokes

Effects of Coastal Forest on Tsunami Hazard Mitigation — A Preliminary Investigation

• K. Harada1, F. Imamura

Fluid Force on Vegetation Due to Tsunami Flow on a Sand Spit

• Kentaro Imai, Hideo Matsutomi

Hydro-Acoustic Monitoring on the Kamchatka Shelf: A Possibility of Early Location of Oceanic Earthquake and Local Tsunami Warning

• E. V. Sasorova, B. W. Levin, V. E. Morozov, I. N. Didenkulov

Editors and Affiliations

Kenji Satake

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : Tsunamis

Book Subtitle : Case Studies and Recent Developments

Editors : Kenji Satake

Series Title : Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3331-1

Publisher : Springer Dordrecht

eBook Packages : Earth and Environmental Science , Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

Copyright Information : Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2005

Hardcover ISBN : 978-1-4020-3326-1 Published: 28 June 2005

Softcover ISBN : 978-94-007-8903-6 Published: 25 October 2014

eBook ISBN : 978-1-4020-3331-5 Published: 17 October 2005

Series ISSN : 1878-9897

Series E-ISSN : 2213-6959

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : VIII, 346

Topics : Oceanography , Civil Engineering , Geophysics/Geodesy , Geography, general , Environmental Management

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Sunda Strait Tsunami Indonesia Case Study 2018

What caused the Sunda Strait tsunami in Indonesia?

Sunda Strait Tsunami Indonesia Case Study

On Saturday 23rd December 2018 a large tsunami swept into the coastal towns on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java, killing at least 429 people and injuring 1400.

Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire which means there is a constant risk of natural disasters, such as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

The tsunami was triggered by the eruption of Anak Krakatoa (child of Krakatoa), which set off an undersea landslide.

Mt. Krakatoa Eruption, one hour ago. Credit to Capt. Mykola from Susi Air #PrayForBanten #prayforanyer #PrayForLampung #PrayForSelatSunda #prayforindonesia #Krakatau #TsunamiSelatSunda #TsunamiAnyer #tsunamibanten #TsunamiLampung pic.twitter.com/xI2TU1ysBv — Safiro (@hudasafiro) December 23, 2018

The volcano lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, linking the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea.

A map to show the location of Anak Krakatau

A 64-hectare segment of the west-southwest flank of the volcano collapsed into the sea during an eruption. This sent millions of tonnes of rocky debris into the sea, displacing the water, pushing out waves in all directions.  What was once a volcanic cone standing some 340m high is now just 110m tall. In terms of volume, 150-170 million cubic metres of material has gone, leaving only 40-70 million cubic metres still in place.

The image below illustrates the cause of the tsunami.

Volcanic Tsunami

Volcanic tsunamis can be more devastating than earthquake  tsunamis. This is because volcanic tsunamis may not trigger warning systems that are designed to alarm after large-scale earthquakes so there is little or no warning prior to the tsunami making landfall. Despite this, even if a buoy were located close to Anak Krakatoa, this is so close to the affected shorelines that warning times would have been minimal given the high speeds at which tsunami waves travel.

Like the Sulawesi tsunami earlier in 2018 the tsunami was very localised and to cover the Indian Ocean with sufficient sensors to warn against all such eventualities would require many thousand buoys on the network. In shallow water, the energy of the tsunami is quickly dispersed and so, in this case, the wave didn’t travel as far from source as the very destructive 2004 Boxing Day tsunami which occurred in the deep ocean.

What were the effects of the Sunda Strait Tsunami?

At least 429 people were killed and 1400 injured. 150 people are still reported missing, and the death toll is expected to rise.

Indonesia’s disaster management agency stated 556 houses, nine hotels, 60 food stalls and 350 boats are known to have been damaged.

At least 16,000 people were displaced.

Thousands of people are living in temporary shelters like mosques of schools, with dozens sleeping on the floor.

What were the responses to the Sunda Strait Tsunami?

Aid agency supported the evacuation of the injured and are providing clean water, shelter and tarpaulins. Following the tsunami, the Red Cross began preparations for the possibility of disease breaking out in the tsunami zones.

Volunteer groups cooked meals for newly homeless locals taking refuge in shelters dotted along the affected coast.

Torrential rain hampered search and rescue teams.

Rescue workers struggled to reach remote areas of the country that were hit by the tsunami.

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