Tidal Wave_Page01_ approaching

In 2004, on the day after Christmas, a massive earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake triggered a tsunami, or tidal wave. Until that moment, everything was perfect. The weather was perfect as everyone began their day. They had no way of knowing what was coming.

The tidal wave would soon wreak havoc around the Indian Ocean basin. The official name of the earthquake is the Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake.

This tidal wave was really a series of waves. It resulted in the loss of over 200,000 lives. More than a million people lost their homes.

Amateur video was the source of much of the initial images from the area. The world watched in horror as water overran the beaches. The giant waves destroyed everything in their path. The surging water carried cars and even homes as it moved inland. Tsunamis, like all waves, transfer energy. This tidal wave caused by the huge earthquake was no exception. The earthquake’s energy was carried by the waves. The waves then carried the energy to land. 

Tidal waves can transfer energy a long distance. The energy can be transferred hundreds or even thousands of miles away. The source of the energy was from the earthquake. Earthquakes occur when sections of the earth, or plates, that have been pushing against each other, finally slip, or give way.

The earthquake pushed up a section of sea floor 15 meters.

This uplifting of the sea floor caused the water above it to rise. This lifting pushed on the nearby water, which started the wave. A similar situation can be modeled by dropping a stone into a pond.