2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Cause and Aftermath
Tsunamis and earthquakes are a common occurrence in nature. Nothing is ever constant
on the planet, and motion of tectonic plates – primarily the phenomenon that causes earthquakes
– occurs naturally and constantly as well. Frequently, people do not notice the motion of tectonic
plates if the motion is not significant enough to create visible effects. However, there are
instances in which the motion of plates is so severe that the destruction caused by subsequent
earthquakes and tsunamis can be felt for decades.
A tsunami results when tectonic plates move violently or break under water. In fact, the
Tsunami Early Warning System website states that “Tsunami are actually waves caused by
sudden movement of the ocean due to earthquakes, landslides on the sea floor, land slumping
into the ocean, major volcanic eruptions or large meteorite impacts” (Cwarn.org, 2015). When
pieces of land move or rupture, they slide past each other, disturbing the normal geometry of the
sea floor. As a result, water on top of the plates starts moving as well, which creates strong waves
that move away from the center of plate motion and often onto land and thus cause death and
destruction.
Sometimes, tsunamis happen not only when tectonic plates move under water, but also
when volcanos erupt under water. In a case of volcano, the hot lava that emerges from the
volcano warms up the water around rapidly, which gives the water more kinetic energy to move.
Debris from volcano can agitate the otherwise calm water (calm compared to the agitation during
a tsunami). Lastly, sometimes the top of a volcano that is under the ocean collapses down, which
