Short-Term Morphological and Shoreline Changes at Trinkat Island, Andaman and Nicobar, India, After the 2004 Tsunami

Abstract

The tsunami waves generated during the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004 devastated the coastal area along Trinkat Island, causing sudden changes to the morphology of the landforms. This study uses a series of satellite images to record the short-term morphological response and shoreline changes as well as the recovery of coastal land after its destruction. Results indicate that the island experienced substantial erosion and a significant reduction in land area. Shoreline erosion is more prevalent than accretion at an average linear regression rate of ∼−9 m per year between 2004 and 2013. The major morphological changes at Trinkat Island were observed in coastal inlets, beaches, and bay head-lands. Straight beaches had almost recovered eight years after the tsunami; however, erosion is continually observed in other areas. Our study will help understanding the response and recovery of shorelines in Indian Ocean regions after the 2004 tsunami.

Keywords:

• December 26
• 2004 tsunami
• coastal landforms
• shoreline erosion
• beach recovery
• Andaman and Nicobar
• Trinkat Island

Acknowledgements

The authors thank anonymous reviewers and Dr. Rodolphe Devillers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which helped to improve the quality of the paper.