In some areas, the runup reached staggering heights of 30 meters (100 feet), overwhelming coastal defenses and sweeping away everything in its path. The phenomenon known as "runup" occurred, where the water rushed inland, often traveling kilometers away from the coastline.
The Role of the Indian Plate in the 2004 Tsunami Cause
In some locations, the waves slowed to the point where the massive amount of water behind them continued to surge forward, causing the wave to rise vertically. The topography of the seabed and the shape of the bay acted as natural amplifiers, focusing the energy and driving the water higher up the land.
As the water depth decreased—a process known as shoaling—the wave speed slowed dramatically. On December 26, 2004, the world witnessed one of the most devastating natural disasters in recorded history.
The Role of the Indian Plate in the 2004 Tsunami Cause
Plate Tectonics and Energy Release The Earth's lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere below. This initial displacement generates a series of waves that radiate outward in a circular pattern from the epicenter, which was located approximately 160 kilometers west of Sumatra.
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