Timeline of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
Encyclopedia
Although National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
(PTWC) in Hawaii
eventually issued warnings of a possible tsunami
from the large earthquake
off Sumatra
, Indonesia, the waves outran notification systems at jet speeds of 500 mph (804 km/h), catching hundreds of thousands of people unaware. The following is a timeline
of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
. All times are Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC), on Sunday, 26 December 2004.
(PTWC) from stations in Australia
triggered an alarm that alerted watchstanders. At the same time, an Indonesian radio station reports the death of nine villagers as the result of a tsunami.
's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
(IOC) and the International Coordination Group (ICG) for the ITSU. India
, Sri Lanka
, and the Maldives
are not part of the Pacific system.
, a town in northwest Indonesia, receives seismic sea waves that are 9 meters in height. Effects of the tsunami reach 4 kilometers inland from the coastline. Just minutes prior to the tsunami, southeast Indonesia had sustained damage from the earthquake.
. They confirmed they were aware of the earthquake.
. According to many witnesses, the first seismic sea wave hit the coast in Phuket
at 02:33 UTC. Khao Lak
was hit a few minutes later. A few tourists managed to receive warning calls of big waves from other tourists in Phuket. According to a lot of witnesses the tsunamis, 5-10 meters in height, came in 10 minute periods.
) in Hawaii.
Commander inquiring about the potential for further tsunami waves from aftershocks.
west of Australia
gave a reading of 0.5m crest-to-trough.
and advised them about the increased earthquake magnitude and the 0.5m reading at Cocos Island, as well as the possibility of a destructive tsunami impact on Australia's west coasts.
Pacific Region director contacted the PTWC to report PACOM said no tsunami was observed at Diego Garcia
in the Indian Ocean.
and Africa
. They set up a conference call with the U.S. embassies at Madagascar and Mauritius
, and PTWC advised them of the situation.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system program and serves as the operational center for TWS of the Pacific issuing...
(PTWC) in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
eventually issued warnings of a possible tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
from the large earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
off Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia, the waves outran notification systems at jet speeds of 500 mph (804 km/h), catching hundreds of thousands of people unaware. The following is a timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
. All times are Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
(UTC), on Sunday, 26 December 2004.
00:58 UTC
A massive 9.0 earthquake occurs in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake is so large it is felt in the neighboring countries of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Huge buildings in the Thai capital of Bangkok shake under the force of the earthquake and its aftershocks. Bangkok is 1,242 miles (nearly 2,000 km) from where the earthquake took place.01:07 UTC
Resulting seismic signals received at the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning CenterPacific Tsunami Warning Center
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system program and serves as the operational center for TWS of the Pacific issuing...
(PTWC) from stations in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
triggered an alarm that alerted watchstanders. At the same time, an Indonesian radio station reports the death of nine villagers as the result of a tsunami.
01:10 UTC
The PTWC issued a message to other observatories in the Pacific with its preliminary earthquake parameters.01:14 UTC
The PTWC issued a bulletin providing information on the earthquake and stating there was no tsunami threat to the Pacific nations that participate in the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific (ITSU). These member nations are part of UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission was established by resolution 2.31 adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO. It first met in Paris at Unesco Headquarters from 19 to 27 October 1961. Initially, 40 States became members of the Commission.The IOC is composed of its Member States ,...
(IOC) and the International Coordination Group (ICG) for the ITSU. India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
are not part of the Pacific system.
01:23 UTC
A tsunami hits the coast of Sumatra. Banda AcehBanda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
, a town in northwest Indonesia, receives seismic sea waves that are 9 meters in height. Effects of the tsunami reach 4 kilometers inland from the coastline. Just minutes prior to the tsunami, southeast Indonesia had sustained damage from the earthquake.
02:30 UTC
The PTWC attempted to contact the Australia Meteorological Service with no luck but were successful in contacting Australia Emergency ManagementEmergency Management Australia
Emergency Management Australia is an Australian Federal Government Agency tasked with coordinating governmental responses to emergency incidents...
. They confirmed they were aware of the earthquake.
02:33 UTC
A tsunami hits the coasts in ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. According to many witnesses, the first seismic sea wave hit the coast in Phuket
Phuket City
Phuket is a city located in the southeast of Phuket Island, Thailand. It is the capital of the Phuket Province, covering all of the island. As of 2007 the city has a population of 75,573 people...
at 02:33 UTC. Khao Lak
Khao Lak
Khao Lak ) is a seaside resort located in the Takua Pa district in the Phang Nga province, Thailand and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands....
was hit a few minutes later. A few tourists managed to receive warning calls of big waves from other tourists in Phuket. According to a lot of witnesses the tsunamis, 5-10 meters in height, came in 10 minute periods.
03:30 UTC
Internet newswire reports of casualties in Sri Lanka provided PTWC with the first indications of the existence of a destructive tsunami.03:45 UTC
Armed with the knowledge of a potentially devastating tsunami, PTWC contacted the US Pacific Command (PACOMPACOM
PACOM may refer to:* Pan-African Congress of Mathematicians* United States Pacific Command...
) in Hawaii.
03:45 UTC
The PTWC received a call from a Sri Lankan NavySri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...
Commander inquiring about the potential for further tsunami waves from aftershocks.
04:00 UTC
U.S. Ambassador in Sri Lanka called PTWC to set up a notification system to prepare for the possibility of a large aftershock. He said they would contact the Sri Lankan Prime Minister's office for such notifications. Continuing news reports gave increasing and more widespread casualties.05:25 UTC
The first reading from the Australian National Tidal Centre gauge at Cocos IslandCocos (Keeling) Islands
The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka....
west of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
gave a reading of 0.5m crest-to-trough.
05:45 UTC
The PTWC contacted the Australian Bureau of MeteorologyBureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then...
and advised them about the increased earthquake magnitude and the 0.5m reading at Cocos Island, as well as the possibility of a destructive tsunami impact on Australia's west coasts.
06:00 UTC
The PTWC re-contacted PACOM to advise of increased earthquake magnitude and potential for further tsunami impacts in the western Indian Ocean.06:15 UTC
Australia Bureau of Met called PTWC to advise they had issued an alert to their west coast.06:20 UTC
The NOAA's National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
Pacific Region director contacted the PTWC to report PACOM said no tsunami was observed at Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
in the Indian Ocean.
08:15 UTC
The PTWC spoke with U.S. State Department Operations and advised them about the potential threat to MadagascarMadagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. They set up a conference call with the U.S. embassies at Madagascar and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, and PTWC advised them of the situation.
15:36 UTC
The PTWC issued a third Tsunami Information Bulletin for this event, informing the Pacific that small sea level fluctuations from the Indian Ocean tsunami were being observed in the Pacific, it is assumed caused by energy that was wrapped around the south of Australia.External links
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- NOAA animation of worldwide spread of the Indian Ocean tsunami (2.8 MB QuickTime movie) - waves reach as far as Iceland, and cross each other southwest of Chile