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On December 26, 2004, a massive underwater earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island rattled the Earth in its orbit. The quake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, was the largest one since 1964. Dozens of aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.0 or higher occurred in the following days. But the most powerful and destructive aftermath of this devastating earthquake was the tsunami that it caused. The death toll reached higher than 220,000, and many communities suffered devastating property damage.
 Photo courtesy DigitalGlobe The shore of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, before and after the 2004 tsunami. See more flood pictures. |
 Photo courtesy DigitalGlobe Banda Aceh northern shore detail, 2004, before and after the tsunami |
The devastation of this tsunami overshadowed the devastation of any other tsunami we've seen in recent history, but scientifically, the course of events followed the same basic sequence of a typical tsunami. In this article, we'll look at what causes tsunamis, the physics that drives them and the effects of a tsunami strike. We will also examine scientists' worldwide efforts to monitor and predict tsunamis in order to avoid disasters like the one that occurred in the final days of 2004. Find out more about how to classify waves on the next page.
