A tsunami is a series of extremely long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement of the ocean, usually the result of an earthquake below or near the ocean floor. This force creates waves that radiate outward in all directions away from their source, sometimes crossing entire ocean basins. A powerful undersea earthquake that struck off the coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, set off the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, also known as the Christmas or Boxing Day tsunami, on Sunday morning, Dec. 26, 2004. The quake caused the ocean floor to suddenly rise by as much as 40 meters, triggering a massive tsunami. While most tsunamis have seismic precursors that allow for some form of warning, an unfortunate chain of factors led to Saturday’s catastrophic impact, experts say. The largest number of earthquakes occur around the rim of the Pacific Ocean associated with a series of volcanoes and deep-ocean trenches known as the “Ring of Fire”.

Priya R Nair

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