Reply #16: Topology - not Conspiracy

[carlvs]

The damage a tsunami can do to a coastline has a lot to do with a the underwater topology of the coastal area. You need a long, relatively shallow run-up to the coast in order for a wave to do its worst.

According to info I got off of globalsecurity.org, the underwater topology of the area of Diego Garcia in the direction the tsunami was coming from is very different:

"...Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, situated on the southernmost part of the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge. To the east lies the Chagos Trench, a 400 mile long, underwater canyon that ranges in depth from less than 1,00 meters below the surface to depths that plunge to over 5,000 meters. It is one of the deepest regions of the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is located to the west of Chagos Trench, which runs north and south. The depth of the Chagos Trench and grade to the shores does not allow for tsunamis to build before passing the atoll. The result of the earthquake was seen as a tidal surge estimated at six feet.

"...Small islands with steep slopes usually experience little run-up - wave heights there are only slightly greater than on the open ocean. This is the reason that islands with steep-sided fringing or barrier reefs are only at moderate risk from tsunamis."

As for your so-called "military spin," I think it had more to do with letting the families and dependents of the units located at the facilities there know that they were OK, since there can be up 3,000+ people on the atoll at any one time