Tsunami Early Warning System: An Indian Ocean Perspective

Abstract

Tsunamis are considered the most devastating natural hazard on coastal environments ever known. Densely populated cities on coastal belts are the engines of economic growth and the centers of innovation for global economy and hinterlands of respective nations. As we know most of global cities are located near the coast facilitating trade and commerce. They are also located near the mouths of major perennial rivers which serve as conduits for commerce connecting rest of the world. These locations place major cities at a greater risk of natural hazards viz., cyclones, flooding, sea-level rise, tsunamis, etc. With the increasing intensity of economic exploitation in coastal belts, there is also an increase in socio-economic consequences resulting from the hazardous action of tsunami waves generated from submarine seismic activity and other causes. On 26 December 2004, the countries within the vicinity of East Indian Ocean experienced and witnessed the most devastating tsunami in recorded history. This tsunami was triggered by an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 on the Richter scale at 3.4° N, 95.7° E off the coast of Sumatra in the Indonesian Archipelago at 06:29 hrs IST (00:59 hrs GMT).