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Why did the Maldives that are a cluster of low laying islands survive the full force of the Dec 2004 tsunami? |
Travel Info Why did the Maldives that are a cluster of low laying islands survive the full force of the Dec 2004 tsunami? Travel Tips The actual reason the Maldives survived the December 26, 2004 Tsunami was due to the underwater construction of the atolls that make up the Maldives. The atolls are like vertical pencils in the water. Underwater this is a very step (almost 90 degree slope) which would not push the surface wave higher. The Maldives just had to ride out the crest of the wave propagating across the Indian Ocean, which was further away than other countries. Contrast that with the underwater structure of Sri Lanka where the land extends out underwater at a 45 degree angle for several kilometers. This slope caused the wave to hit the underwater slope near Sri Lanka and build in amplitude creating a large cresting wave on the shore. This lack of vertical energy impact by the underwater land structure in the Maldives was important since more people in Somalia (much further away in East Africa) died than in the Maldives. Wind-generated waves in the Indian Ocean typically have a period of 5-20 seconds between crests and a wavelength of 100-200 meters. The tsunami had a period in the range of 30 minutes and a wavelength in excess of 500 km. In 6000 m deep water if you were in the middle of the Indian Ocean it would be hard to feel ("see") the tsunami since the waves are long and deep. The tsunami wave speed was 2.5 Km/h with a wave height of only 2.5 m in mid ocean. Government reports in the Maldives put the December 2004 wave strike at only 1-3 meters. This saved lives in the Maldives. In Sri Lanka the underwater land slope forced the wave land strike to be 11 meters in Hambantota and 9 m in Galle causing extensive damage in southern Sri Lanka. The initial sudden wave forced trees, cars, buildings inland killing many in the path -- swimming out of the way was really not an option in Sri Lanka. For many people in the Maldives the the water rose up and people needed to tread water for about 20 minutes -- and in the Maldives they are *all* strong swimmers. Here are the deaths by country; Indonesia ..... 104,055 Sri Lanka ..... 48,677 India ............. 15,493 Thailand ...... 5,246 Somalia ...... 176 Burma ......... 90 Maldives ..... 82 After the Tsunami hit the Maldives it was very difficult times in the country since many of the microwave links joining the atolls were lost dropping communications with Male -- this meant that many families could not reach their children in school in Male. Another hardship after the Tsunami was that many of the fresh water wells were flooded with salt water -- they had to be pumped for months. Source(s): My own work experience in the Maldives in March 2005 and returning many times since. Also, extensive work in Sri Lanka. Tsunami facts ... http://www.heartheissues.com/tsunami-dea... Other Travel Tips Because they are too far away. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist Bruce Richmond returned in early March from a two-week trip to examine the impacts of the December 26 tsunami on the low-lying atolls of the Republic of Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The country consists of 1,190 islands grouped in 26 atolls that stretch more than 800 km from north to south, crossing the equator at their south end. Although the archipelago is about 2,500 km from the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, its average elevation of only 1.5 m left it exposed to the tsunami waves, which swept completely across many of the islands. The Maldives was the only country where the effects of the tsunami were felt across the entire country, rather than in certain parts or regions. Total damage estimates are about $470 million. Approximately 100,000 people, or a third of the population of nearly 300,000, have been severely affected, with approximately 12,000 displaced and 8,500 in temporary shelters. About a quarter of the nearly 200 inhabited islands in the archipelago were severely damaged, and 10 percent were made uninhabitable. At the time of this writing, more than 80 people have been reported dead, and 26 are missing. The tsunami occurred during daylight hours near low tide, two factors that probably helped keep the death toll relatively low. Mostly because we are a bit far away from where the tsunami was generated. When the waves reached Maldives and beyond the strength of the waves were reduced. Maldives was one of the countries most seriously affected by the tsunami. Maldives survived with damages, you can see the impact assessment reports from Maldives Disaster Management Center website http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv/ http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv/ http://www.adb.org/tsunami/joint-needs-a... Perhaps only because the Maldives did not experience the full force of the tsunami. Also a tsunami is not like a permanent sea-level rise - it lasts only for a few minutes. So many islands of the Maldives was in fact almost under-water for a few minutes - but her people lived to tell the tale because the tsunami subsided almost as suddenly as it swept in. What the Maldives experienced was of less than 1/3rd strength of what was experienced in Sumatra; and yet Maldives was the country that sustained the most severe damages/losses in terms of its population and area. Had the tsunami originated from a point closer than it did in Dec 2004, perhaps we would now only be talking about a place called the Maldives, where people once lived but is now a mere lagoon! |
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