The tsunami shocked the world with the violence of its destructive power. From the rubble of its aftermath, new life is slowly re-emerging. However, those who were directly affected by the disaster will never forget it. The rest of the world must never forget it, either.
The day after Christmas in 2004, a devastating earthquake occurred on the sea floor underneath the Indian Ocean. This earthquake measured over 9.0 on the Richter scale, making it one of the most powerful ever recorded. It was so powerful, in fact, that the entire planet experienced vibrations from it. The earthquake also generated a tsunami that devastated most of the Asian nations that were unfortunate enough to have coastlines along the Indian Ocean.
What is a tsunami? Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world have first-hand experience of this devastating natural disaster, but for many people, it is an unfamiliar phenomenon. Partly because tsunamis have been relatively rare over the past hundred years, many lack understanding regarding what exactly a tsunami is.