As you do your research try to contrast the effects and response to the Haiti Earthquake in Jan 2010...
The BBC is always a good place to start - overwhelming volume of information from lots of other sources too, here is a selection...
Epicentre interactive map:
Guardian picture gallery of the devastation and now 2 months on... (synopticity - time scale!) and 12 months on and 3 years on - 100000 still living in temporary accommodation.
What was the cause of the earthquake? Geography in the news has information and links worth investigating (click on the links on the menu on the right hand side of the page.)
Also follow these links on the GCSE pages
This BlogSpot has excellent summaries - how the tsunami happened and the effects.
The earthquake is a result of thrust faulting on the subduction zone between the Pacific and North America/Eurasian plates. The Pacific plate moves approximately westwards with respect to the North America plate at a velocity of 8 cm per year. (read more from the BGS...)
What causes a Tsunami - animation
Tsunami wave map
Earthquake preparation - no more high rised living?!