Destructive Earthquake and Disastrous Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, What Next?

A major earthquake event and a disastrous tsunami struck on December 26, 2004 in the Indian Ocean which led to the death of nearly 250, 000 people within a short period of time. This has given a major jolt not only to the scientists, but also to the authorities, planners and various national and international organizations. Discussions regarding ‘what to do and how to cope with such situations’ are taking place and also on various plans and programmes for the future. We have analyzed the available scientific data related to the Sumatra earthquake and tsunami and also the earlier disastrous events of the tsunami. This includes seismicity of the region, numerical modeling studies and crustal deformation studies. Based on earlier reports of disastrous events, warning systems related to earthquakes and tsunamis, we suggest scientific studies that need to be taken up in the near future in the region. Our study will provide some direction for the ongoing discussions to prepare better plans and programmes in the Indian Ocean by various South East Asian countries.