Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Tectonic geomorphology, tsunamis and environmental hazards: reference to Andaman-Nicobar Islands

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Geomorphic features associated with earthquakes and tsunamis have received wide attention in estimating uplift and subsidence after the tectonic event. Although various techniques are in vogue in estimating the uplift and subsidence after the 2004 Andaman-Sumatra earthquake and subsequent tsunami, remote sensing techniques have been proved to be quite handy to study the geomorphic changes. In the present study, geomorphic changes associated with the destructive event of December 2004 have been analyzed. The emergent and subsident coasts around the smaller islands in the Andaman region have been identified. The coral reef area that has been subjected to uplift or subsidence in some of the islands of the Andaman and Nicobar region is delineated, and the net areal extents of these coral beds have been computed. Of the six islands studied in Andaman region, coral reef of four islands was subjected to uplift, and around two islands the area was subsided. The uplifted area varied from 0.10 to 11 km2, and subsidence was about 0.50 km2. In Nicobar region, the subsidence of coral reefs was recorded. This study helps to monitor the coastal environments and the destruction due to natural hazards.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler-Golden SM, Acharya PK, Berk A, Mathew MW, Gorodetzky D (2005) Remote bathymetry of the littoral zone from AVIRIS, LASH, and Quickberd imagery. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 43(2):337–347. doi:10.1109/TGRS.2004.841246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ammon CJ, Ji C, Thio HK, Robinson D, Ni S, Hjorleifsdottir V, Kanamori H, Lay T, Das S, Helmberger D, Ichinose G, Polet J, Wald D (2005) Rupture process of the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake. Science 308:1133–1139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrade C (1992) Tsunami generated forms in the Algarve barrier island (South Portugal). In: Dawson AG (ed) European Geophysical Society 1992 tsunami meeting. Sci Tsunami Hazards 10(1):21–34

  • Bilham R (2005) A flying start, then a slow slip. Science 308:1126–1127. doi:112/science.1113746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borrero JC, Sieh K, Chlieh M, Synolakis CE (2006) Tsunami inundation modeling for western Sumatra. PNAS 103(52):19673–19677

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Briggs R et al (2006) Deformation and slip along the Sunda megathrust in the great 2005 Nias–Simeule earthquake. Science 311(5769):1897–1901. doi:10.1126/science.1122602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant E (2001) Tsunami. The underrated hazard. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, p 320

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant E, Young R (1996) Bedrock-sculpturing by tsunami, south coast New South Wales. J Geol 104:565–582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant E, Young R, Price D (1996) Tsunami as a major control of coastal evolution, southeastern Australia. J Coastal Res 12:831–840

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant EA, Young RW, Price DM, Wheeler DJ (1997) The impact of tsunami on the coastline of Jervis Bay, Southeastern Australia. Phys Geogr 18(5):440–459

    Google Scholar 

  • Chlieh M, Avouac JP, Hjorleifsdottir V, Song TRA, Sieh C, Ji K, Sladen A, Hebert H, Prawirodirdjo L, Bock Y, Galetzka J (2007) Coseismic slip and afterslip of the Great Mw9.15 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake of 2004. Bull Seismol Soc Am 97(1A):S152–S173. doi:10.1785/0120050631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummins PR (2007) The potential for giant tsunamigenic earthquakes in the northern Bay of Bengal. Nature 449:75–78. doi:10.1038/nature06088

    Google Scholar 

  • Curray JR (2005) Tectonics and history of the Andaman Sea region. J Asian Earth Sci 25:187–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gahalaut VK, Nagarajan B, Catherine JK, Kumar S (2006) Constraints on 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake rupture from GPS measurements in Andaman-Nicobar Islands. Earth Planet Sci Lett 242:365–374. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.11.051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jade S, Ananda MB, Kumar PD, Banerjee S (2005) Co-seismic and post-seismic displacements in Andaman and Nicobar Islands from GPS measurements. Curr Sci 88(12):1980–1984

    Google Scholar 

  • Kayanne H, Ikeda Y, Echigo T, Shishikura M, Kamataki T, Satake K, Mali JN, Basir SR, Chakraborty GK, Roy AKG (2007) Coseismic and postseismic creep in the Andaman Islands associated with the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake. Geophys Res Lett 34:L01310. doi:10.1029/2006GL028200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelletat D, Schellmann G (2001) D. Kelletat and G. Schellmann, Sedimentologischeund geomorphologische Belege starker Tsunami-Ereignisse jung-historischer Zeitstellung im Westen und Südosten Zyperns. Essener Geographische Arbeiten 32(2001):1–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Konca AO, Hjorleifsdottir V, Song TRA, Avouac JP, Helmberger DV, Ji C, Sieh K, Briggs R, Meltzner A (2007) Rupture kinematics of the 2005, Mw 8.6, Nias-Simeulue earthquake from the joint inversion of seismic and geodetic data. Bull Seismol Soc Am 97:S307–S322. doi:10.1785/0120050632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konca AO et al (2008) Partial rupture of a locked patch of the Sumatra megathrust during the 2007 earthquake sequence. Nature 456:631–635

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lay T, Kanamori H, Ammon CJ, Nettles M, Ward SN, Aster RC, Beck SL, Bilek SL, Brudzinski MR, Butler R, Deshon HR, Ekstrom G, Satake K, Sipkin S (2005) The great Sumatra–Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004. Science 308:1127–1133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCloskey J, Antonioli A, Piatanesi A, Sieh K, Steacy S, Nalbant SS, Cocco M, Giunchi C, Huang JD, Dunlop P (2007) Near-field propagation of tsunamis from megathrust earthquakes. Geophys Res Lett 34:L14316. doi:10.1029/2007GL030494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meltzner AJ, Sieh K, Abrams M, Agnew DC (2006) Uplift, subsidence associated with the great Aceh-Andaman earthquake of 2004. J Geophy Res 111:B02407. doi:10.1029/2005JB003891

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller RL, Del Castillo CE, McKee BA (Eds) (2005) Remote sensing of coastal aquatic environments: technologies, techniques and applications, remote sens. Digit Image Process, vol 7, p. 347, Springer

  • Natawidjaja DH, Sieh K, Chlieh M, Galetzka J, Suwargadi BW, Cheng H, Edwards RL, Avouac JP, Ward SN (2006) Source parameters of the great Sumatran megathrust earthquakes of 1797 and 1833 inferred from coral microatolls. J Geophys Res 111:B06403. doi:10.1029/2005JB004025

  • Newcomb K, McCann W (1987) Seismic history and seismotectonics of the Sunda Arc. J Geophys Res 92:421–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortiz M, Bilham R (2003) Source area and rupture parameters of the 31 December 1881 M-w = 7.9 Car Nicobar earthquake estimated from tsunamis recorded in the Bay of Bengal. J Geophys Res 108:2215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pacheco JF, Sykes LR (1992) Seismic moment catalog of large shallow earthquakes, 1900 to 1989. Bull Seismol Soc Am 82:1306–1349

    Google Scholar 

  • Pozdnyakov D, Grassl H (2003) Colour of inland and coastal waters: a methodology for its interpretation. Praxis, Chichester, p 170

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajendran CP, Rajendran K, Anu R, Earnest A, Machado T, Mohan PM, Freymueller J (2007) Crustal deformation and seismic history associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake: a perspective from the Andaman-Nicobar Islands. Bull Seismol Soc Am 97(1A):S174–S191. doi:10.1785/0120050630

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffers A (2002) Paleotsunamis in the Caribbean: field evidences and datings from Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Essener Geographische Arbeiten 33:181

  • Scheffers A, Kelletat D (2003) Sedimentologic and geomorphologic tsunami imprints worldwide—a review. Earth Sci Rev 63:83–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sieh K, Natawidjaja DH (2000) Neotectonics of the Sumatran fault, Indonesia. J Geophys Res 105:28,295–28,326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smet S, Mitchel R, Bollinger L (2008) Uplift of the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake measured from different hyperspectral imagery of coastal waters. J Geophys Res 113:BO9403. doi:10.1029/2007JB005317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stein S, Okal EA (2005) Speed and size of Sumatra earthquake. Nature 434:581–582. doi:10.1038/434581a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subarya C, Chlieh M, Prawirodirdjo L, Avouac JP, Bock Y, Sieh K, Meltzner AJ, Natawidjaja DH, McCaffrey R (2006) Plate-boundary deformation associated with the great Sumatra–Andaman earthquake. Nature 440:46–51. doi:10.1038/nature04522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Puymbroeck N, Michel R, Binet R, Avouac JP, Taboury J (2000) Measuring earthquakes from optical satellite images. Appl Opt 39(20):3486–3494. doi:10.1364/AO.39.003486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young R, Bryant E (1992) Catastrophic wave erosion on the Southeastern coast of Australia, impact of the Lanai tsunamica. 105 ka? Geology 20:199–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zebker HA, Rosen P, Goldstein RM, Gabriel A, Werner CL (1994) On the derivation of coseismic displacement fields using differential radar inerferometry: the Landers earthquake. J Geophys Res 99:19,617–19,634. doi:10.1029/94JBO1179

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Author thanks Prof. Seyed E Hasnain, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad, for financial support in the form of ‘Seed Grant’. Support and encouragement from Prof. K.V. Subbarao is gratefully acknowledged. Yunus Ali and Avinash Kumar helped me in preparation of figures. Thanks are due to Dr. C. Subramanyam for his valuables suggestions on the preliminary draft of this paper. I thank guest editors, Drs. K.S.R. Murthy, M. Radhakrishna and A.K. Chaubey for the opportunity given to contribute a paper for this issue of the journal. The comments and suggestions of anonymous reviewers and the editor helped to improve the content of the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Earth and Space Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India

    A. C. Narayana

Authors
  1. A. C. Narayana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. C. Narayana.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Narayana, A.C. Tectonic geomorphology, tsunamis and environmental hazards: reference to Andaman-Nicobar Islands. Nat Hazards 57, 65–82 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-010-9647-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-010-9647-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation