The Andaman Sea is 750 miles (1,200 km) long from north to south and 400 miles (6....

The sea's northern and eastern third is less than 600 feet (180 metres) deep, in part because vast quantities of silt have been deposited by the Irrawaddy River at its delta. Huge volumes of runoff water from Myanmar flow into the Andaman Sea during the summer monsoon, however, forming a marked pattern of low surface salinity in its northern third. Trading vessels have plied the Andaman Sea since ancient times. In 2004 a severe earthquake (magnitude 9.0) off the west coast of Sumatra triggered a large that inundated coastal areas throughout the Andaman Sea region. APA style: Andaman Sea.