Abstract

The 26 December 2004 earthquake and tsunami had variable impacts on the Andaman and Nicobar islands. While the earthquake rupture caused land-elevation changes (uplift in the west, subsidence in the east and south) and co-seismic shaking damaged buildings and weakened the infrastucture (roads, bridges, jetties), the tsunami caused most devastation. The largely tribal-populated, low-elevation smaller islands in the Nicobars were the most affected with two islands (Katchall and Pilmillow) losing nearly 90% of their population. This chapter documents and presents new evidence of the impacts of the earthquake and tsunami.