The 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake (Mw=9.0–9.3) is one of the greatest earthquakes ever recorded. In terms of its physical size, it is comparable to the 1960 Chilean (Mw=9.5) and the 1965 Alaskan (Mw=9.2) earthquakes. However, the damage caused by this earthquake is far greater than that caused by other great earthquakes. The 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake has been studied in great detail over broad time-scales, from a fraction of seconds to hours and months, using the modern seismic data available from global seismic networks and the Global Positioning System data. We summarize the findings obtained mainly from seismic data, and discuss the unique feature of this earthquake, and possible directions of research to minimize the impact of great earthquakes on our society.
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