CURBE research team at the Department of Architecture, Cambridge University carried out interviews with the survivors of the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Dr. Marla Petal was instrumental in drafting the survey form, as well as setting up the interview procedure. The project which was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK finished in 2005, however if you are a survivor and would like to share your experiences with us, please get in touch by sending an email to Keiko Saito ks269@cam.ac.uk or download the questionnaire from here and return it to ks269@cam.ac.uk. This page provides the background information of this project.

Spence, R., Palmer, J., Petal, M., Kelman, I., Saito, K., “Using eyewitness reports to assess the impact of the 26.12.04 Southern Asian Tsunami”, Journal of Maritime Engineering, vol 160, issue 2, pp 75-85, June 2007. Accessible here

After the original survey, further 400+ surveys were undertaken in Banda Aceh, Indonesia by Dr. Regan Potangaroa (School of Architecture, Unitec, Auckland). The paper based on the results is available from here.

Ilan Kelman has also published a paper on the effect the tsunami had on tourists in the Journal of Coastal Conservation, vol 12, no.3,September 2008, pp.105-113. Accessible here

Download the Tsunami questionnaire in Word format (91kb). If you intend to use this form for research purposes, please inform us before you do so.

This research is collecting and collating eyewitness reports of the 26 December 2004 tsunamis in order to supplement and interpret inundation and damage information which is obtained by more conventional means, such as satellite imagery and post-event engineering surveys. A more complete understanding of a tsunami's behaviour, warning signs, effects, and impacts will be obtained. Finally, this knowledge and understanding will be translated into better long-term disaster and risk management strategies in order to save lives and to protect livelihoods. This work is kindly funded by the U.K.'s EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)

If you are a survivor yourself, or know someone who would be willing to participate in our survey, please either download the survey sheet at the top of this page and send it back to Keiko Saito by email ks269@cam.ac.uk. Or contact us with the following information to enable us to contact you later for a more in-depth interview. Please contact Maria Sylvester by phone +44-(0)1223 460475 or Keiko Saito by email ks269@cam.ac.uk with:

• Cambridge Press Release in Word Format.

(138 kb in Word Format. This file may not open in older versions of Word.)

• Cambridge Press Release in PDF.

(51 kb in PDF which requires Adobe Acrobat to read.)

News Release

7 February 2005

Looking for Asian tsunami eyewitnesses

Researchers from the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge are looking for eyewitnesses of the Asian tsunami to contribute to a study of the tsunami's impact on buildings and infrastructure.

According to the Principal Investigator of the project, Professor Robin Spence "Such as study will have a number of benefits such as improved understanding of the nature of tsunami impacts on buildings, information on the tsunami run-up characteristics at various locations and development of tools for tsunami awareness".

Professor Spence said that the reason that eyewitnesses' accounts are so important in this particular instance is the lack of comprehensive information on what ‘early signs’ there might have been at the time which were ignored. “If we can collect this information,” he said, "then we will be able to identify these warning signs early - something that could save lives."

"Also many of the eyewitnesses will have photographs or videos of the tsunami. This coupled with their reports will provide us with a direct and vivid report of the tsunami’s impact."

Eyewitnesses who are willing to contribute to this research are asked to phone or email the research team as soon as possible, contacting Maria Sylvester by phone: 01223 460475 or Ilan Kelman by email: ik227@cam.ac.uk [now, please contact instead Keiko Saito ks269@cam.ac.uk]

The researchers intend to ask the eyewitnesses about such things as evidence of possible warning signs, wave heights, the sequence of waves , the extent of the wave run-up on land the depth of the inundation and the physical damage to structures, and human behaviour.

The group's work will aim to compare these reports with existing information and see how those relate to each other. They hope this study will contribute to better construction and implementation of regulations for those facilities built in the high-risk tsunami areas in South Asia and elsewhere in the world.

Notes to Editors:

1. Work on earthquake damage assessment in the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge has been continuing for nearly 25 years. During that time staff and researchers from Architecture or Department of Engineering have been involved in earthquake reconnaissance missions following all the major earthquakes worldwide each of which has resulted in reports that have been widely disseminated in industry while the researchers have used the information for specific research programmes. In Architecture, the data have been used to develop predictive tools and loss estimation methods in a number of projects supported by UK Research Councils and by the European Union. These tools have since been used for loss estimation purposes by urban authorities in many countries and by insurance and reinsurance companies. The department has also collaborated with the insurance industry for the development of computerised loss modelling software.

2. The Principal Investigator, Prof. Robin Spence is Professor of Architectural Engineering at Cambridge University in the Department of Architecture. He has been involved in post-disaster damage assessment for over two decades. One of the co-founders of EEFIT in 1982, he has been involved either as participant or Missions Committee member in most EEFIT Missions since that time. Professor Spence is currently President of the European Association for Earthquake Engineering.

For further information please contact:

1. Corina Hadjiodysseos, Press and Publications Office University of Cambridge
Tel: 01223 332300, email: ch250@cam.ac.uk

2. Professor Robin Spence, Department of Architecture University of Cambridge
Tel: 01223 460475, email: rjs2@cam.ac.uk

Just south of Banda Aceh.
(Public domain image used courtesy of the U.S. State Department.)

The U.K.'s EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) has kindly funded this research along with other tsunami-related work at the University of Newcastle and University College London.

Download the press release:

• EPSRC Press Release in Word Format.

(46 kb in Word Format. This file may not open in older versions of Word.)

• EPSRC Press Release in PDF.

(65 kb in PDF which requires Adobe Acrobat to read.)

Researchers go into action after Tsunami

PN: 7/05
Issue date: 18th March 2005

British researchers have launched urgent research programmes in order to learn lessons from the recent Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster. Such knowledge is relevant to both UK, and overseas disaster assessment and prevention programmes.

Funded by grants from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), teams from the University of Cambridge, the University of Newcastle, and University College London have looked at differing aspects of the tsunami’s effects. Their objectives were to collect and assess appropriate structural, topographical, seismological and tsunami related data.

The University of Newcastle received a grant from EPSRC to undertake an immediate survey mission to the regions affected by the tsunami. Dr Sean Wilkinson from the University's Civil Engineering Department, with Dr Tiziana Rossetto from University College London, participated as members of the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) - which has now returned from the disaster zone. Their aim was to research the damage to buildings and infrastructure caused by the tsunami and to make recommendations to reduce or prevent damage in the future.

A further objective was to assess the reasons for the high death toll and suggest what engineering / architectural measures could be taken to save lives. Drs Wilkinson and Rossetto spent 10 days in Sri Lanka and Thailand researching the tsunami’s impact on structures, coastal topography, and the differences in how well-designed and badly-designed buildings stood up to the events.

Dr Sean Wilkinson said of the findings: "What we found was quite unexpected. Even in the worst hit areas, many well engineered buildings suffered only modest structural damage, however they offered little protection from the tsunami. This is the opposite to what we find for normal earthquakes and has major implications for coastal communities worldwide."

A research team from the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge is using EPSRC funding in collating eyewitness reports from British citizens, field surveys, and satellite imagery to build a more complete understanding of the tsunami’s behaviour and potential risks.

"More than any other recent earthquake-related disaster, the immediate and long term effects are not confined to the Indian Ocean basin, but are still being felt around the world. Rapid recording of damage data helps to identify when and where such changes have occurred," said Professor Robin Spence, the Cambridge project’s Principal Investigator.

The Cambridge University work has direct implications for UK coastal regions. Dr Ilan Kelman and Keiko Saito the project’s researchers, explain: "UK coastlines are vulnerable to rare but large scale tsunamis. Major storm damage occurs relatively frequently. The understanding of safer coastal development, which our research work could produce, will apply directly to UK practices."

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) reacted quickly to these funding requests and ensured that the opportunity for optimised research with direct relevance to science, and people’s lies, was achieved.

Notes for Editors

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. The EPSRC invests more than £500 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC also actively promotes public awareness of science and engineering. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. Website address for more information on EPSRC: www.epsrc.ac.uk

Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) is a group of British earthquake engineers, architects and academics who seek to collaborate with colleagues in earthquake prone countries in the task of improving the seismic resistance of both traditional and engineered structures. EEFIT was formed in 1982 as a joint venture between universities and industry and has been carrying out regular investigations of earthquake damage since that date.

Contact

Lance Cole, EPSRC Press Officer
Tel: 01793 444312, e mail: Lance.Cole@epsrc.ac.uk

Natasha Richardson, Assistant Press Officer
Tel: 01793 444404, e mail: Natasha.Richardson@epsrc.ac.uk