Northern Sumatra Field Survey after the December 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami

Abstract

A field survey of earthquake and tsunami effects was conducted in the region around Banda Aceh in northern Sumatra. The field data included visual observations of watermarks, which were located via handheld GPS units and then photographed. Where possible, watermarks were surveyed along cross-shore profiles to determine runup height. Additional information on wave arrival and behavior—including the timing and the number of waves—was collected through interviews with witnesses and survivors and from video recorded during the tsunami event. These data were used in conjunction with satellite imagery obtained before and shortly after the earthquake to describe the effects of the tsunami and earthquake in terms of runup height, inundation distance, flow depth, levels of structural damage, shoreline erosion, and earthquake-related subsidence. This data set is far from complete, and additional information is needed to fully assess the tsunami effects in northern Sumatra.