A FIELD REPORT ON THE IMPACT OF THE 2004 SUMATRA TSUNAMI ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF INDIA

Abstract

A field survey to document the event that occurred in the coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India on December 26, 2004 was undertaken along the Tamil Nadu coast to estimate several items, including the wave run-up height, damage assessment and inundation areas in the different parts of the affected regions. The results of this field survey indicate that the tsunami inundation was heavier in the southern region along the Nagapattinam coast than the northern coast near Chennai; this was most likely due to differences in onshore topography. Consequently, the role of the onshore topography and its relationship with near-shore bathymetry needs to be evaluated in detail inorder to prevent future catastrophes.