New York - The tsunami wave that claimed 230.000 lives almost four years ago was in fact the biggest that ever happened in the Indian Ocean in 600 years. This was concluded by two geological studies whose results were published in the latest edition of the Nature journal.
The long period of time also caused the 2004 tsunami to seem terrifying. During 600 years, geological pressures have collected the energy under the sea, to then `explode` and tear the ocean, producing an extremely high, lethal wave to sweep the lands.
The studies were conducted by two analysts by digging wells and taking samples in Thailand and North Sumatra. They claimed to be able to see evidence of the last tsunami which took place in the years of 1300-1400, that corresponded to the one that hit on December 26, 2004. They analyzed samples of sand sedimentations from the seabed, which, based on its age (calculated using a carbon measurement technique), are thought to have been left by the wave at that time.
In the Nature journal, the analysts said the 2004 tsunami claimed many victims in 14 countries. In Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Northern Sumatera, the wave was more than 30 meters high. In Thailand, the sand sedimentation was found two kilometers away from the site and was 5,20 cm thickness. Afp
Source: http://www.tempointeractive.com (October 31, 2008)