Geology of the British Indian Ocean Territory carbonates, which are present in the Seychelles for reasons that are not clear—hypothesized to include local storm erosion. The offshore waters around the archipelago contain deep-sea ferromanganese nodules, with globular, dendritic and laminated microstructures formed from iron-manganese oxide. Due to the US military presence on the island the US Geological Survey has conducted water resource analysis since 1984. Geology of the British Indian Ocean Territory The geology of the British Indian Ocean Territory comprises the Chagos Archipelago—the above water portion of the Chagos Bank. Formed from hotspot volcanism, the Chagos Bank was separated from the Nazareth Bank 36 million years
Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on the Maldives Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on the Maldives In the Maldives, 82 people were killed and 24 reported missing and presumed dead after it was hit by a tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004. Two-thirds of the capital city Malé was flooded during the first hours of the day. Outlying low-level atolls were badly affected, and some low-lying islands, including some of the major resorts, were submerged at the peak of the tsunami. The government declared a state of national disaster and a special task force was set up to provide aid