Asian Tsunami Disaster The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an
undersea mega-thrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on
December 26, 2004, with an epicenter off the west coast of
Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific
community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake. The resulting
tsunami is given various names, including the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami, Asian Tsunami, Indonesian Tsunami, and Boxing Day
Tsunami. The earthquake was caused by subduction and triggered a
series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most
landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing over 230,000
people in fourteen countries, and inundating coastal communities
with waves up to 30 meters (100 feet) high. It was one of the
deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia was
the hardest hit, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.
With a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3, it is the third largest
earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. This earthquake had
the longest duration of faultin