Tsunami in Thailand. How does the tsunami warning system work in Thailand?

In the history of mankind, December 26, 2004 was marked by a tragedy of enormous proportions, which brought a sea of ​​suffering to a huge number of people. At 00:58 UTC (07:58 a.m. local), a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3 occurred in the depths of the Indian Ocean, near the Indonesian island of Simeulue. It gave rise to a series of rogue waves, which within a few hours brought terrible destruction to the shores of Asia, killing approximately 300 thousand people. Among the countries hit by the disaster was Thailand.

Start

On the most ordinary December morning, powerful tremors of the seabed led to the displacement of huge masses of water in the ocean. In the open sea, it looked like low, but stretching for thousands of kilometers water semicircles, rushing at incredible speed (up to 1000 km/h) to the shores of Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and even African Somalia. As the waves approached shallow water, they slowed down, but in some places acquired monstrous sizes - up to 40 meters in height. Like enraged chimeras, they carried an energy twice as high as the energy of all the explosions of the Second World War with the nuclear bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki inclusive.

At this time, residents and guests of the western coast of Thailand (Phuket, Krabi province and the surrounding small islands) began a very ordinary day. Some were in a hurry to go to work, some were still basking in a soft bed, and some had already decided to enjoy the sea. The tremors were practically unnoticeable, so no one, absolutely no one, suspected the impending mortal danger.

About an hour after the earthquake, strange phenomena began to appear on land at sea: animals and birds ran away in anxiety, the sound of the surf ceased, and the water in the sea abruptly left the shore. Intrigued, people began to go out to the shallow areas of the seabed to collect exposed shells and fish.

No one saw the approaching 15-meter wall of water, since it did not have a white crest, and for a long time visually merged with the surface of the sea. By the time she was noticed, it was already too late. Like an angry lion, the sea crashed onto the land with a roar and howl. With tremendous speed it carried streams of enraged water, crushing, tearing and grinding everything in its path.

The ocean traveled hundreds of meters inland, and in some places up to two kilometers. When his strength was exhausted, the movement of the water stopped, but only to rush back at the same speed. And woe to those who did not have time to take cover. At the same time, the danger was not so much the water itself, but what it carried. Huge pieces of soil, concrete and reinforcement, broken furniture, cars, advertising signs, broken high-voltage cables - all this threatened to kill, flatten and injure anyone who found themselves in the frantic flow.

Video

When the water left

After it was all over, a truly terrifying picture appeared to the survivors. It seemed that evil giants were playing terrible games here, moving huge objects and leaving them in the most unexpected places: a car in the hotel lobby, a tree trunk in a window or a swimming pool, a boat on the roof of a house, a hundred meters from the sea... Buildings that once stood on the shore and were almost completely destroyed. The streets turned into a hellish mess of fragments of furniture, mangled and overturned cars, shards of glass, broken wires and, worst of all, the bodies of dead people and animals.

Elimination of the consequences of the tsunami

Measures to eliminate the consequences of the tsunami began to be taken immediately after the water left. All military and police were mobilized, camps were organized for the victims with access to clean water, food and a place to rest. Due to the hot climate, the danger of outbreaks of infections associated with contamination of air and drinking water increased every hour, so the government and local population faced a tough task: to locate all the dead in the shortest possible time, identify them if possible and properly bury them. To do this, it was necessary to clear away the rubble all day long, without sleep or rest. Many governments around the world sent human and material resources to help the Thai people.

The total number of deaths on the shores of Thailand reached 8,500 people, 5,400 of whom were citizens of more than forty countries, a third of them were children. Later, after the governments of the affected states were able to assess the total damage, the 2004 tsunami was recognized as the deadliest ever known.

The earthquake that raised giant waves was so strong that it pierced our planet right through, causing ground vibrations of up to 3 mm in the United States. At the same time, such a mass of energy was released that the Earth changed its rotation, reducing the length of the day by 2.6 microseconds. Some small islands near Sumatra have shifted to the southwest by up to 20 meters.

Years after the tragedy

Next year will mark 10 years since the tragedy that claimed more than 300 thousand lives and brought grief and despair to even more people around the world. During this time, Thailand was able to recover and completely restore the affected areas. A year after the disaster, the issue of providing housing for those who lost a roof over their head was resolved.

New homes, especially on the coast, are now being built to specific specifications. Their design, materials and location will allow them to withstand the elements of the sea and, in the event of a threat, reduce casualties and destruction to a minimum.

But most importantly, Thailand has joined the international system of deep-sea tracking of the movement of masses of water in the ocean, with the help of which it is possible to predict the arrival of a tsunami in advance. On islands and cities where there is a possibility of giant waves, warning and evacuation systems have been created. Extensive educational work has been carried out to familiarize people with the rules of behavior in the event of a natural disaster.

On July 9, 1958, a strong earthquake triggered a giant landslide in Lituya Bay, southwest Alaska. Three hundred million cubic meters of soil, rock and ice then fell into the sea, raising a record-high wave in the entire history of tsunami observations. A wall of water 524 meters high moved at a speed of 160 km/h, blocking the sky and the sun, and hit Cenotaph Island, creating several more giant waves in the bay.

Today, the general phobia of a possible tsunami in Thailand has practically disappeared. Tourists flock to the shores of the kingdom with renewed enthusiasm and enjoy traveling around this amazing country. The coast now looks more beautiful than it was, and only signs with the rules of behavior in the event of danger remind of the tragedy of 2004. But this is only external. The elements left behind a huge number of broken human destinies. People will keep memories of the fear they experienced for a long time and grieve for those who can no longer be returned.

In 2004, on December 26, a powerful tsunami hit the islands and coast of Thailand, claiming thousands of lives. Another attempt in recent history occurred on April 11, 2012, although this time the tsunami did not cause such destruction... This article is not about the details of the tragedy associated with the tsunami in Thailand, but about what was done in this country as a result to ensure further safety population and tourists.

New construction rules

New houses, especially those built on the coast, are now being built in compliance with special requirements. In 2004, it was primarily low-rise buildings on the coast that suffered the damage, and they did not protect people from water impacts. Now the design, materials and placement of buildings will make it possible to withstand sea waves and, in the event of a threat, to minimize casualties and destruction.

Notification system

After the 2004 tragedy, the Thai government attracted American specialists and financed the installation of a deep-sea tsunami early detection system (the largest in the world). A loudspeaker system has been placed on the coast to warn people of approaching danger, which provides information messages in several languages.

The warning system is set to trigger a couple of hours before the expected impact. Both ways and means of evacuation were developed in order to quickly move people to a safe area, i.e. further from the sea and higher.

This system has already shown its work in 2012. Radars detected tremors in the earth's crust near Indonesia. Sirens sounded everywhere on the beaches, vacationers and the local population were evacuated to the mountains.

On islands

Yes, it may turn out that an adventure seeker is heading from the mass resorts to the marvelous islands of Thailand with the cleanest beaches. There are plenty of small islands like Phi Phi in Thailand. Of course, tsunamis in Thailand also cover the islands.

But there is somewhere to run - all the islands are rocky and with rare exceptions these cliffs are much higher than 15 meters(tsunami waves are unlikely to rise higher). So we have to go to the mountains. There is also a warning system on more or less visited islands, and there are often permanent settlements there as well.

Both on the islands and on the mainland, do not forget to observe the surrounding nature. And in particular the behavior of animals and birds. If they all rushed from the sea to the mountains and rocks - think about it!

Gulf of Thailand

As for the tourist places located in the depths of the Gulf of Thailand - Pattaya, Hua Hin, Rayong, Cha Am, island, etc. - there is generally nothing to worry about. The Malacca Peninsula protects the Gulf of Thailand from tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, and the coast absorbs tsunami waves from the Pacific Ocean.

What to do if a tsunami occurs?

Typically, tsunamis are caused by an earthquake whose epicenter is not relatively close to the coast. If you heard messages from the warning system, felt tremors under your feet, or someone from the local community told you about an approaching tsunami, you must:

• collect important documents (usually tourists have few documents and they are important - a passport), valuables;
• notify your neighbors and fellow travelers about the danger and leave the danger zone yourself;
• move away from the tsunami to the mountains or to an area remote from the water;
• look for special signs that show the shortest tsunami evacuation route. They are often installed in areas where waves could potentially enter;
• Keep in mind that the first wave of the elements is not always the strongest. Stay in a safe place for several hours until stable calm occurs in the coastal zone.

Don't ignore the strong and sudden tide. This is also a sign of powerful waves. In this case, you should not just move quickly, but run, because the warning system either did not work or is not available in this place.

Video, Thailand, Tsunami Thailand (Koh Phi Phi) - 12/26/2004

Eyewitness video. Tsunami in Thailand December 26, 2004.

An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which occurred on December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time), caused a tsunami that was considered the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. This is the third most powerful earthquake on record.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Indian Ocean, north of the island of Simeulue, located off the northwestern coast of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia). The tsunami reached the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand and other countries. The height of the waves exceeded 15 meters. The tsunami caused enormous destruction and a huge number of deaths, even in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6900 km from the epicenter.

According to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people died. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the death toll is 227,898. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known, as many people were swept into the ocean.

Tsunami propagation across the Indian Ocean

The earthquake north of Simeulue Island was initially estimated at magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) assessed it at magnitude 8.5 immediately after the event. The moment magnitude, which more accurately estimates earthquakes of this magnitude, was 8.1. Upon further analysis, this score was gradually increased to 9.0. In February 2005, the strength of the earthquake was estimated at 9.3 magnitude. The PTWC accepted this new estimate, while the USGS estimates the magnitude of the earthquake to be 9.1 magnitude.

Since 1900, recorded earthquakes of comparable magnitude have been the 1960 Great Chile earthquake (magnitude 9.3–9.5), the 1964 Great Alaskan Ice Bay earthquake (9.2), and the 1952 earthquake off the southern coast of Kamchatka ( 9.0). Each of these earthquakes also resulted in a tsunami (in the Pacific Ocean), but the death toll was significantly lower (several thousand people at most) - perhaps because the population density in those areas is quite low, and the distances to the more populated coasts are quite large .

The hypocenter of the main earthquake was located at coordinates 3.316° N. latitude, 95.854° east. (3° 19′ N, 95° 51.24′ E), at a distance of about 160 km west of Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km from sea level (initially reported 10 km from sea level ). It is the western end of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an earthquake belt that accounts for up to 81% of the world's largest earthquakes.

The earthquake was unusually large in a geographical sense. About 1200 km (according to some estimates - 1600 km) of rock shifted over a distance of 15 m along the subduction zone, causing the Indian plate to move under the Burma plate. The shift was not one-time, but was divided into two phases within a few minutes. Seismographic data suggests that the first phase formed a fault measuring approximately 400 km by 100 km, located at approximately 30 km above sea level. The fault formed at a speed of about 2 km/s, starting from the shore of Ase towards the northwest for about 100 seconds. There was then a pause of about 100 seconds, after which the rift continued to form north towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Indian Plate is part of the larger Indo-Australian Plate that lines the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, moving northeast at an average rate of 6 cm per year. The Indian Plate touches the Burma Plate, which is considered part of the larger Eurasian Plate, forming the Sunda Trench. At this point, the Indian Plate is being subducted under the Burma Plate, which contains the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands and the northern part of the island of Sumatra. The Indian Plate gradually slides deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until increasing temperatures and increasing pressure turn the subducted edge of the Indian Plate into magma, which is eventually ejected upward through volcanoes (the so-called Volcanic Arc). This process is interrupted by the interlocking of the plates for several centuries until the build-up of pressure results in a major earthquake and tsunami.

With the sharp movement of tectonic plates, the seabed also rises by several meters, thereby giving rise to destructive tsunami waves. Tsunamis do not have a point center as such, as is erroneously assumed from illustrations of their propagation. Tsunamis propagate radially from the entire fault, which is approximately 1200 km long.

There are probably more emotions in this material than useful information. But this is because I wrote it there, in Thailand. Later I will tell you about Koh Chang Island in detail, since there is practically no textual information about this place on the Internet.

They don't return from heaven

“Still, what a strange thing - an earthquake. We firmly believe that the ground under our feet is solid and durable. There is even a phrase: rest your feet on the ground.” And then one day we realize that this is not so. Solid earth and rocks become soft like jelly... Fortunately, there are no major earthquakes in Thailand." When I read these lines, mentally assenting to Murakami's hero, hundreds of people in Thailand frantically clutched at life, thousands said goodbye to it forever. Here such a strange coincidence...

At an altitude of 7 thousand meters, only one fear scratched my soul - what if the plane crashed? But everyone drove him away, caught him like a mouse in a mousetrap. The tension began to roll down in a soft wave only after palm trees began to flash behind the windows of the TU-154. Thailand!

“Well, what? Where are we going? Phuket was washed away by the tsunami, Phi Phi too...” No one even listened to these words of our fellow countryman - the man is laughing, what can you say. We only learned the truth in Pattaya. “Fortunately, there are no major earthquakes in Thailand.” The tsunami has simply not been remembered here in the last 80 years. They say that when a huge wave, before a decisive surge, exposed the bottom of the bay, naive people rushed to collect shells, crabs, and fish. But there was still time to run to the nearest high-rise hotel, climb as high as possible...

Hovering over the TV, we forgot about our suitcases, the upcoming dinner and the planned shopping trip. On all channels there is one clear word: TSUNAMI. And footage of destruction: as if beach umbrellas, sun loungers, shopping pavilions, boats, cars were put through a giant meat grinder.

Tour operators reassured those who were about to go to Phuket: “It’s okay, the airport is already open, the authorities are taking unprecedented measures...”. And everything like that. (Later we learn that even 10 days after the tsunami, Patong remained in ruins, no one swam in the sea. As our fellow countrymen reported, there was no particular zeal to restore order. Did the

that trade. Almost all the tourists, who were in the dark, were placed where they had to. Many Kamchatka residents ended up on Karen Beach, where the traces of destruction are not as significant as on Patong. But the beach was practically not cleaned here either. Only a few went into the sea - you never know what will come up).

We made proactive calls to our relatives: “The island we are flying to is in the Gulf of Thailand, and everything happened on the Andaman coast.” Probably little consolation, but still...

Two years ago, our family vacationed in Patong - exactly where restoration work is now underway. Last winter we unsuccessfully begged a travel agency to find places on Phi Phi. Now the unsurpassed beaches and coral reefs of these islands are perceived as nothing short of reality

horror film. It's better not to think...

This year we had three options for celebrating the New Year's holiday: at home in Kamchatka, in Phuket (most likely, it would be a hotel on Karen Beach) or Koh Chang - a quiet, sparsely populated and little-known island.

We fell for the new and unknown. The travel agency honestly warned: “It’s a long drive: three hours from Patai by bus (in fact it turned out to be four), thirty minutes by ferry and another thirty by minibus.” And they added: “But who said that the road to paradise is easy? You will definitely like it there. Palm trees are right on the shore, you don’t even need umbrellas, the hotel is new, just opened.”

Needless to say, the bungalows and other modest huts left behind for unorganized tourists could not be compared with Amari. Not a hotel, but simply an example of architectural and design art. Several three-story buildings, located in a semicircle, unite artificial

ponds with fountains and wooden bridges. In the center there is a children's "paddling pool" that smoothly turns into a jacuzzi. A few steps up and you can swim 50 meters in the largest pool, over the edges of which water flows like a perfect millimeter sheet. Lanthums, beautiful with their intricate gnarliness, from time to time drop white fragrant flowers onto green lawns. Everything is correct, nothing superfluous. Everywhere - mahogany, walnut, natural stone. Even the hangers in the wardrobe are not without grace.

I even thought that for all its stylishness, the hotel was still missing something - maybe spirit. However, not even an hour had passed before I had to regret this random thought. Slipping on the not at all slippery bathroom floor, I literally slammed into the perfect tiles of the nearest wall, hitting my head until it bled. No, the hotel still has spirit!

It was from this moment that I realized that even the color scheme of “Amari” suits my taste – everything is beige and olive. Other little things were also appreciated: for example, photographs of lotuses in black frames, which were the main decoration of our room.

But what fascinated me most was the modern New Year tree: a two-meter cone with a brown rope and a garland of small multi-colored balls wrapped around it. Four small deer, woven from dry palm leaves and painted silver, froze in the rays of illumination. Minimalism taken to the point of absurdity.

In the evenings, when the red lanterns light up at the Amari fountains, when the music plays quietly and the knives and forks rattle steadily in the restaurant, the hotel becomes like a ghost ship. Everyone died and no one knows about it...

I don’t know if I would have dreamed this if the tsunami hadn’t happened. There is no point in guessing - now everything has changed. No matter how we try to push anxiety to the back of our minds, it still finds the cracks it knows and seeps out. On the beach you involuntarily position yourself so that the sea remains before your eyes. At night you don’t have nightmares, you sleep very well, but in the morning you think with relief: “Thank God, you’re alive.”

We have a hard time understanding those who, despite everything, still flew to

Phuket. Living there is like wearing the things of a dead person. I'm afraid that time will not change this feeling. Along with the water, the tsunami carried away the main thing that attracted us to Thailand - a sense of security. Be that as it may, in Kamchatka, where every hour you keep something related to an earthquake in your mind, you will never relax.

“Fortunately, there are no major earthquakes in Thailand.” Other disasters were not taken into account. Memory is unlikely to erase the horrific footage that was shown a few days after the tsunami: bodies are being packed in plastic, preparing for burial in a common grave; sobs. And also - blood on the sand. For thousands of people from all over the world, Thailand has remained a paradise forever. No one will recognize them and no one will find them.

Koh Chang was spared the tragedy. But I will never call this nice and quiet place heavenly. Because they don't return from heaven.

Irina Dronova, Koh Chang, Thailand.

An earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2004 off the coast of Indonesia caused a giant wave - a tsunami, recognized as the deadliest natural disaster in modern history.

The epicenter of the disaster was located at a depth of about 20 kilometers under the ocean floor, about 200 kilometers west of the northern tip of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia). The length of the earthquake source in the direction north-northwest (Andaman Sea) - south-southeast (along the coast of the island of Sumatra) was more than a thousand kilometers.

The energy released by an earthquake is approximately equal to the energy of the world's entire stockpile of nuclear weapons or the world's annual energy consumption.

Following this natural disaster, UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) was tasked with developing and implementing an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System. In 2005, the Intergovernmental Coordination Group was established. Following eight years of international cooperation under the auspices of the IOC, the Tsunami Warning System became operational in March 2013, with regional tsunami watch centers in Australia, India and Indonesia taking responsibility for transmitting tsunami warnings to Indian Ocean countries.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources