Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis

January 7, 2005

January 7, 2005JPEG

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Satellites continue to acquire imagery of areas severely damaged by the tsunami of December 26, 2004. This image of Meulaboh, Indonesia, was collected on January 7, 2005, by DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite. Meulaboh is located on the coast of Sumatra, roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the epicenter of the magnitude 9.0 earthqukae that generated the tsunami. The image shows where the tsunami washed over a narrow peninsula, eroding the beach and destroying many of the town’s buildings.

Image copyright DigitalGlobe

Location

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Instrument:: QuickBird

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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake - the largest in 40 years - struck offshore of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, 2004. These images show the damage caused by the resulting tsunami to the shores of northwestern Sumatra.

Tsunami Damage, Northwestern Sumatra

Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis

Tsunami Damage in Thailand

Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis

Tsunami Vulnerability in Camana, Peru

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Tsunami Vulnerability in Camana, Peru

A tsunami washed over the low-lying coastal resort region near Camaná,southern Peru, following a strong earthquake on June 23, 2001. The earthquake was one of the most powerful of the last 35 years and had a magnitude of 8.4. After the initial quake, coastal residents witnessed a sudden draw-down of the ocean and knew a tsunami was imminent. They had less than 20 minutes to reach higher ground before the tsunami hit. Waves as high as 8 meters came in four destructive surges reaching as far as 1.2 kilometers inland. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, and the combined earthquake and tsunami killed as many as 139 people.

Tsunami Vulnerability in Camana, Peru

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Tsunami Vulnerability in Camana, Peru

A tsunami washed over the low-lying coastal resort region near Camaná,southern Peru, following a strong earthquake on June 23, 2001. The earthquake was one of the most powerful of the last 35 years and had a magnitude of 8.4. After the initial quake, coastal residents witnessed a sudden draw-down of the ocean and knew a tsunami was imminent. They had less than 20 minutes to reach higher ground before the tsunami hit. Waves as high as 8 meters came in four destructive surges reaching as far as 1.2 kilometers inland. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, and the combined earthquake and tsunami killed as many as 139 people.

Earthquake off Samoa Generates Tsunami

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Earthquake off Samoa Generates Tsunami

Satellite imagery reveals tsunami damage along the southern coast of Upolu, Samoa.

Tsunami Destroys Lhoknga, Indonesia

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Tsunami Destroys Lhoknga, Indonesia