Earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean, 26 December 2004

The tsunami that occurred on December 26, 2004 was the worst tsunami ever recorded, in terms of lives lost. In the hopes that disasters like this can be avoided in the future, we try to understand the mechanism and impact of this tsunami. The information presented here is focused on geologic aspects of the disaster.

• Tsunami Generation from the 2004 M=9.0 Sumatra Earthquake
   
• The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami:
  Initial Findings on Tsunami Sand Deposits, Damage, and Inundation in Sri Lanka
   
• The 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Initial Findings from Sumatra
  Features a photo gallery of the survey conducted January 20-29, 2005
   
• Sumatra Tsunami Field Reports, 30 March - 26 April 2005
  Read about the field study of the effects of the 28 March 2005 and 26 December 2004 tsunamis in Sumatra.
  Read the daily reports from the field from our USGS scientists on the latest International Tsunami Survey Team, who are in Sumatra from 30 March - 26 April 2005.