Thousands have died after a violent earthquake under the
sea near northern Indonesia sent huge waves crashing into coastal areas across south and east Asia.
Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval because of its proximity
to the "Ring of Fire", an area around the Pacific Ocean basin where tectonic plates intersect and volcanoes erupt.
2
Violent rupture
The quake occurred close to the island of Sumatra.
Two tectonic plates, the Australian and Eurasian plates, meet just off Sumatra's south-west coast, grinding
together and sending periodic seismic tremors through the region.
At 0759 (0059 GMT) a violent rupture occurred on the sea floor along a fault about 1,000km long.
Deadly wave
All along the rupture the seafloor was shunted vertically by about 10 metres.
This movement displaced hundreds of cubic kilometres of the overlaying water, generating a massive tsunami,
or sea surge.
The wave then fanned out across the Indian Ocean at enormous speed.
004
Area affected
The 9 magnitude quake, which was the strongest in the world for at least 40 years, wrought havoc across the
whole region.
Walls of water, tens of metres high, slammed into coastal areas thousands of miles apart.
Surging seas and floods were reported as far away as east Africa.
(021)
The popular tourist resort town of Kalutara, Sri Lanka, found itself in the path of the deadly
"Tsunami" caused by a massive earthquake under the sea near northern Indonesia.
(022)
This photo was taken on 26 December 2004 at 10:20 local time, slightly less than four hours after the wave
smashed into the beach and pushed up to one kilometre inland.
(023)
The ferocity of the wave can be seen as the water recedes...
(024)
...exposing over 300 metres of beach previously covered by the ocean.
(025)
Currently 28 729 people are now confirmed dead in Sri Lanka alone.
049
City Gleebruk, Indonesia. from bbc wrold news.
050
Pankarang cape resort in Phangna, Thailand. from bbc wrold news
051
Blue village resort in close to Khao Lak, Thailand. from bbc wrold news
