Tsunamis from submarine landslides

Most tsunamis are generated by earthquakes, with secondary, less frequent, mechanisms including subaerial and submarine landslides, volcanic eruptions and (extra‐terrestrial) bolide impacts. Different mechanisms generate tsunamis with different magnitudes, travel distances and impacts. Submarine landslides had been mapped and studied for decades but records suggested that only a few had generated tsunamis, and that these were minor. It was not until 1998, when a slump on the seabed offshore of northern Papua New Guinea caused a tsunami wave up to 15 m high that killed over 2200 people, was the significance of submarine landslides in tsunami generation realised. A combination of new (multibeam) seabed mapping technology and the development of improved numerical tsunami models for tsunami generation led to the recognition of the landslide tsunami mechanism of the PNG event. As a result the hazard from submarine landslides in tsunami generation is now recognized and better understood. Extensive mapping of ocean margins reveals that submarine landslides are common. Although many of these probably generated tsunamis, few have been identified, so their hazard remains uncertain. This article describes how the hazard from submarine landslide tsunamis was first recognized, how submarine landslides generate tsunamis, why they were previously discounted as a major hazard, and their potential hazards. An important aspect of the recognition of the tsunami hazard from submarine landslides has been the significance of geology, which has contributed to a subject previously dominated by seismologists.     

Traces of historical tropical cyclones and tsunamis in the Ashburton Delta (north‐west Australia)

Although the north‐western coast of Western Australia is highly vulnerable to tropical cyclones and tsunamis, little is known about the geological imprint of historic and prehistoric extreme wave events in this particular area. Despite a number of site‐specific difficulties such as post‐depositional changes and the preservation potential of event deposits, both tropical cyclones and tsunamis may be inferred from the geomorphology and the stratigraphy of beach ridge sequences, washover fans and coastal lagoons or marshes. A further challenge is the differentiation between tsunami and storm deposits in the geological record, particularly where modern deposits and/or historical reports on the event are not available. This study presents a high‐resolution sedimentary record of washover events from the Ashburton River delta (Western Australia) spanning approximately the last 150 years. A detailed characterization of event deposits is provided, and a robust chronostratigraphy for the investigated washover sequence is established based on multi‐proxy sediment analyses and optically stimulated luminescence dating. Combining sedimentological, geochemical and high‐resolution optically stimulated luminescence data, event layers are assigned to known historical events and tropical cyclone deposits are separated from tsunami deposits. For the first time, the 1883 Krakatoa and 1977 Sumba tsunamis are inferred from sedimentary records of the north‐western part of Western Australia. It is demonstrated that optically stimulated luminescence applied in coastal sedimentary archives with favourable luminescence characteristics can provide accurate chronostratigraphies even on a decadal timescale. The results contribute to the data pool of tropical cyclone and tsunami deposits in Holocene stratigraphies; however, they also demonstrate how short‐lived sediment archives may be in dynamic sedimentary environments.     

Tsunami deposits in the geological record

A review is presented here of tsunami deposits in the geological record. It begins with a discussion of the relationships between the processes of tsunami generation and propagation and the sedimentary responses. This is followed by a consideration of the sedimentary processes associated with the passage of tsunami waves across coastlines. Attention is also given to the sedimentary processes associated with tsunami-triggered gravity backwash flows and comparisons are made with turbidity current action. We observe that despite sedimentary evidence for recent tsunamiites, geological research on ancient tsunamis has not identified stratigraphic units associated with onshore tsunami sedimentation. Equally, it is noted that nearly all published studies of sedimentary processes associated with modern tsunamis have not considered patterns of sediment transport and deposition in the offshore zone.     

The post-depositional changes of the onshore 2004 tsunami deposits on the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand

The Indian Ocean tsunami flooded the coastal zone of the Andaman Sea and left tsunami deposits with a thickness of a few millimetres to tens of centimetres over a roughly one-kilometre-wide tsunami inundation zone. The preservation potential and the post-depositional changes of the onshore tsunami deposits in the coastal plain setting, under conditions of a tropical climate with high seasonal rainfall, were assessed by reinvestigating trenches located along 13 shore-perpendicular transects; the trenches were documented shortly after the tsunami and after 1, 2, 3 and 4 years. The tsunami deposits were found preserved after 4 years at only half of the studied sites. In about 30% of the sites, the tsunami deposits were not preserved due to human activity; in a further 20% of the sites, the thin tsunami deposits were eroded or not recognised due to new soil formation. The most significant changes took place during the first rainy season when the relief of the tsunami deposits was levelled; moderate sediment redeposition took place, and fine surface sediments were washed away, which frequently left a residual layer of coarse sand and gravel. The fast recovery of new plant cover stabilised the tsunami deposits and protected them against further remobilisation during the subsequent years. After five rainy seasons, tsunami deposits with a thickness of at least a few centimetres were relatively well preserved; however, their internal structures were often significantly blurred by roots and animal bioturbation. Moreover, soil formation within the deposits caused alterations, and in the case of thin layers, it was not possible to recognise them anymore. Tsunami boulders were only slightly weathered but not moved. Among the various factors influencing the preservation potential, the thickness of the original tsunami deposits is the most important. A comparison between the first post-tsunami survey and the preserved record suggests that tsunamis with a run-up smaller than three metres are not likely to be preserved; for larger tsunamis, only about 50% of their inundation area is likely to be presented by the preserved extent of the tsunami deposits. Any modelling of paleotsunamis from their deposits must take into account post-depositional changes.     

Distinguishing tsunami and storm deposits: An example from Martinhal, SW Portugal

Geological identification of past tsunamis is important for risk assessment studies, especially in areas where the historical record is limited or absent. The main problem when using the geological evidence is to distinguish between tsunami and storm deposits. Both are high-energy events that may leave marine traces in coastal stratigraphic sequences. At Martinhal, SW Portugal both storm surge and tsunami deposits are present at the same site within a single stratigraphic sequence, which makes it suitable to study the differences between them, excluding variations caused by local factors.

The tsunami associated with the Lisbon earthquake of November 1st 1755 AD, had a major impact on the geomorphology and sedimentology of Martinhal. It breached the barrier and laid down an extensive sheet of sand, as described in eyewitness reports. Besides the tsunami deposit the stratigraphy of Martinhal also displays evidence for storm surges that have breached and overtopped the barrier, flooding the lowland and leaving sand layers. Both marine-derived flood deposits show similar grain size characteristics and distinctive marine foraminifera. The most important differences are the rip-up clasts and boulders exclusively found in the tsunami deposit and the landward extent of the tsunami deposit that everywhere exceeds that of the storm deposits. Identification of both depositional units was only possible using a collection of different data and extensive stratigraphical information from cores as well as trenches.     

南海古海啸重建与海啸沉积研究进展

中国东海、南海等近海临近琉球海沟、马尼拉海沟等俯冲带,地震频发。过去的海啸研究主要关注历史文献分析、海啸数值模拟等,据此评估中国近岸海啸灾害的历史和风险。历史时期是否引发了海啸,特别是具有特大致灾风险的大海啸记录,目前还不明确。近年来,本课题组通过对海岛、海洋沉积和海岸带及其岛屿的沉积过程、海啸遗迹和历史记录研究,阐述了确定古海啸的系列研究方法。首先通过对南海西沙群岛东岛湖泊沉积序列、大量砗磲和珊瑚块在海岛分布的特征分析,识别出距今千年的一次海啸事件。以此为标志,根据湖泊沉积结构作为识别海岛海啸沉积的特征。同时提出了确定海岛海啸发生时代的样品采集和定年方法,其中包括根据事件沉积层顶部和底部植物残体¹⁴C年龄定年和历史文献记录的印证。首次确定在过去1 300年中,南海发生过一次海啸,其发生时间为公元1076年。为了寻找更古老的海啸记录,结合对东海闽浙沿岸过去两千年海洋泥质沉积的分析,发现南海海啸在沉积序列中留下记录,但除此之外沉积记录中并无更强的扰动,因此东海在过去两千年中受到海啸的影响较小。1076年的海啸同时冲击了南海沿岸,通过对广东南澳岛考察发现,岛屿东南海岸保存着距今约1 000年的海啸沉积层,其中夹杂着宋代陶器瓷器残片。对遗迹数量变化的分析显示,岛上的文化受海啸破坏出现了长达500年的文化中断,直至明代中后期设镇之后才逐渐恢复。根据海啸层植物残体、贝壳¹⁴C测年、覆盖海啸层的海砂光释光定年以及瓷器碎片的年代鉴定了海啸的发生时代,并据此提出了海岸带古海啸沉积的定年方法。此外,不同环境下海啸沉积的特征也存在较大区别,需要结合地形、沉积物来源以及地球化学特征等多种指标进行识别。有迹象表明海南岛东侧海岸带有海啸破坏的明显证据,需要进行深入的研究。     

Global tsunami deposits database

The National Geophysical Data Center and co-located World Data Center for Geophysics and Marine Geology provide integrated access to historical tsunami event, deposit, and proxy data. Historical events are important for understanding the frequency and intensity of relatively recent tsunamis. Deposit data collected during post-tsunami field surveys provide information on tsunami erosion, sedimentation, flow depths, inundation, and run-up. Deposit data from prehistoric tsunami events extend the record to pre-recorded times, constrain tsunami recurrence intervals, and estimate the minimum magnitude of tsunami inundation. Proxies indicate that an event capable of producing a tsunami occurred, but are not direct evidence of a tsunami. All of these data are used to develop tsunami hazard assessments, provide guidance to warning centers, validate models, inform community preparedness efforts, and educate the public about tsunami risks.     

Vented sediments and tsunami deposits in the Puget Lowland,Washington – differentiating sedimentary processes

The sandy deposits produced by tsunamis and liquefaction share many sedimentary features, and distinctions between the two are important in seismically active coastal zones. Both types of deposits are present in the wetlands bordering Puget Sound, where one or more earthquakes about 1100 years ago caused both tsunami flooding and sediment venting. This co‐occurrence allows an examination of the resulting deposits and a comparison with tsunami and liquefaction features of modern events. Vented sediments occur at four of five wetland field localities and tsunami deposits at two. In comparison with tsunami deposits, vented sediments in this study and from other studies tend to be thicker (although they can be thin). Vented sediments also have more variable thickness at both outcrop and map scale, are associated with injected dykes and contain clasts derived from underlying deposits. Further, vented sediments tend to contain a greater variety of sedimentary structures, and these structures vary laterally over metres. Tsunami deposits compared with vented sediments are commonly thinner, fine and thin landward more consistently, have more uniform thickness on outcrop and map scales, and have the potential of containing coarser clasts, up to boulders. For both tsunami deposits and vented sediments, the availability and grain size of source material condition the characteristics of the deposit. In the cases presented in this paper, both foraminifera and diatom assemblages within tsunami deposits and vented sediments consisted of brackish and marine species, and no distinction between processes could be made based on microfossils. In summary, this study indicates a need for more careful analysis and mapping of coastal sediments associated with earthquakes to avoid misidentification of processes and misevaluation of hazards.     

Tsunamis versus storm deposits from Thailand

Along the Andaman (west) coast of Thailand, the 2004 tsunami depositional features associated with the 2004 tsunami were used to describe the characteristics of tsunamis in a place far away from the effect of both recent and ancient storms. The current challenge is that a lack of precise sedimentological characteristics have been described that will differentiate tsunami deposits from storm deposits. Here, in sedimentological senses, we reviewed the imprints of the sedimentological characteristics of the 2004 tsunami and older deposits and then compared them with storm deposits, as analyzed from the deposits found along the eastern (Gulf of Thailand; GOT) coast of Thailand. We discuss the hydraulic conditions of the 2004 tsunami and its predecessors, on the Andaman coast, and compare them to storm flows found on the coast of the GOT. Similar to an extensive tsunami inflow deposit, a storm flow overwash has very similar sedimentary structures. Well-preserved sedimentary structures recognized in sand sheets from both tsunami and storms include single and multiple normal gradings, reverse grading, parallel, incline and foreset lamina, rip-up clasts, and mud drapes. All these sedimentary structures verify the similarity of tsunami and storm inflow behavior as both types of high-energy flow start to scour the beach zone. Antidunes are likely to be the only unique internal sedimentary structures observed in the 2004 tsunami deposit. Rip-up clasts are rare within storm deposits compared to tsunami deposits. We found that the deposition during the outflow from both tsunami and storms was rarely preserved, suggesting that it does not persist for very long in the geological record.     

Reconstructing hydrodynamic flow parameters of the 1700 tsunami at Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA

Coastal communities in the western United States face risks of inundation by distant tsunamis that propagate across the Pacific Ocean as well as local tsunamis produced by great (M_w?>?8) earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone. In 1964, the M_w 9.2 Alaska earthquake launched a Pacific-wide tsunami that flooded Cannon Beach, a small community (population 1640) in northwestern Oregon, causing over $230,000 in damages. However, since the giant 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2010 Chile tsunami and the recent 2011 Tohoku-Oki tsunami, renewed concern over potential impacts of a Cascadia tsunami on the western US has motivated closer examination of the local hazard. This study applies a simple sediment transport model to reconstruct the flow speed of the most recent Cascadia tsunami that flooded the region in 1700 using the thickness and grain size of sand layers deposited by the waves. Sedimentary properties of sand from the 1700 tsunami deposit provide model inputs. The sediment transport model calculates tsunami flow speed from the shear velocity required to suspend the quantity and grain size distribution of the observed sand layers. The model assumes a steady, spatially uniform tsunami flow and that sand settles out of suspension forming a deposit when the flow velocity decreases to zero. Using flow depths constrained by numerical tsunami simulations for Cannon Beach, the sediment transport model calculated flow speeds of 6.5?C7.6?m/s for sites within 0.6?km of the beach and higher flow speeds (~8.8?m/s) for sites 0.8?C1.2?km inland. Flow speed calculated for sites within 0.6?km of the beach compare well with maximum velocities estimated for the largest tsunami simulation. The higher flow speeds calculated for the two sites furthest landward contrast with much lower maximum velocities (<3.8?m/s) predicted by numerical simulations. Grain size distributions of sand layers from the most distal sites are inconsistent with deposition from sediment falling out of suspension. We infer that rapid deceleration in tsunami flow and convergences in sediment transport formed unusually thick deposits. Consequently, higher flow speeds calculated by the sediment model probably overestimate the actual wave speed at sites furthest inland.     

Evidence of extreme wave events from boulder deposits on the south-east coast of Malta (Central Mediterranean)

Large boulder accumulations have been observed on various coasts bordering the Mediterranean and have been associated with extreme wave events such as powerful storms or tsunamis. This study provides an in-depth analysis of 430 boulder deposits, located along a 3.5 km stretch of rocky coast situated on the SE of the Maltese Islands. It includes a geomorphometric analysis of the observed boulders and use of numerical modelling to estimate wave height required to initiate boulder movement. Comparisons of aerial imagery over a period of 46 years have made it possible to identify boulder movement that could only be attributed to storm waves, given that no local tsunamigenic event has been recorded over this time period. Positioned in the central Mediterranean, the Maltese Islands are exposed to potential tsunamis generated by seismic activity associated with the Malta Escarpment, and the Calabrian and Hellenic arcs. Although imprints from historic tsunami impact cannot be excluded, results indicate that the area is exposed to strong storm waves that are capable of displacing some of the very large boulders observed on site.     

Sedimentary evidence of prehistoric distant-source tsunamis in the Hawaiian Islands

Over the past 200 years of written records, the Hawaiian Islands have experienced tens of tsunamis generated by earthquakes in the subduction zones of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ (for example, Alaska–Aleutian, Kuril–Kamchatka, Chile and Japan). Mapping and dating anomalous beds of sand and silt deposited by tsunamis in low-lying areas along Pacific coasts, even those distant from subduction zones, is critical for assessing tsunami hazard throughout the Pacific basin. This study searched for evidence of tsunami inundation using stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses of potential tsunami deposits beneath present and former Hawaiian wetlands, coastal lagoons, and river floodplains. Coastal wetland sites on the islands of Hawai΄i, Maui, O΄ahu and Kaua΄i were selected based on historical tsunami runup, numerical inundation modelling, proximity to sandy source sediments, degree of historical wetland disturbance, and breadth of prior geological and archaeological investigations. Sand beds containing marine calcareous sediment within peaty and/or muddy wetland deposits on the north and north-eastern shores of Kaua΄i, O΄ahu and Hawai΄i were interpreted as tsunami deposits. At some sites, deposits of the 1946 and 1957 Aleutian tsunamis are analogues for deeper, older probable tsunami deposits. Radiocarbon-based age models date sand beds from three sites to ca 700 to 500 cal yr bp , which overlaps ages for tsunami deposits in the eastern Aleutian Islands that record a local subduction zone earthquake. The overlapping modelled ages for tsunami deposits at the study sites support a plausible correlation with an eastern Aleutian earthquake source for a large prehistoric tsunami in the Hawaiian Islands.     

Magnetic fingerprint of tsunami-induced deposits in the Ixtapa–Zihuatanejo Area,Western Mexico

The Pacific coast of Mexico has repeatedly been exposed to destructive tsunamis. Recent studies have shown that rock magnetic methods can be a promising approach for identification of tsunami- or storm-induced deposits. We present new rock magnetic and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) results in order to distinguish tsunami deposits in the Ixtapa–Zihuatanejo area. The sampled, 80 cm-deep sequence is characterized by the presence of two anomalous sand beds within fine-grained coastal deposits. The lower bed is probably associated with the 14 March 1979 Petatlán earthquake (M _W = 7.6), whereas the second one formed during the 21 September 1985 Mexico earthquake (M _W = 8.1). Rock magnetic experiments discovered significant variations within the analysed sequence. Thermomagnetic curves reveal two types of behaviour: one in the upper part of the sequence, after the occurrence of the first tsunami, and the other in the lower part of the sequence, during that event and below. Analysis of hysteresis parameter ratios in a Day plot also allows us to distinguish two kinds of behaviour. The samples associated with the second tsunami plot in the pseudo-single-domain area. In contrast, specimens associated with the first tsunami and the time between both tsunamis display a very different trend, which can be ascribed to the production of a considerable amount of superparamagnetic grains, which might be due to pedogenic processes after the first tsunami. The studied profile is characterized by a sedimentary fabric with almost vertical minimum principal susceptibilities. The maximum susceptibility axis shows a declination angle D = 27°, suggesting a NNE flow direction which is the same for both tsunamis and normal currents. Standard AMS parameters display a significant enhancement within the transitional zone between both tsunamis. The study of rock magnetic parameters may represent a useful tool for the identification and understanding of tsunami deposits.     

Reconstructing 4000 years of mass movement and tsunami history in a deep peri‐Alpine lake (Lake Geneva,France‐Switzerland)

The study of mass movements in lake sediments provides insights into past natural hazards at historic and prehistoric timescales. Sediments from the deep basin of Lake Geneva reveal a succession of six large‐scale (volumes of 22 × 10⁶ to 250 × 10⁶ m³) mass‐transport deposits, associated with five mass‐movement events within 2600 years (4000 cal bp to 563 ad ). The mass‐transport deposits result from: (i) lateral slope failures (mass‐transport deposit B at 3895 ± 225 cal bp and mass‐transport deposits A and C at 3683 ± 128 cal bp ); and (ii) Rhône delta collapses (mass‐transport deposits D to G dated at 2650 ± 150 cal bp , 2185 ± 85 cal bp , 1920 ± 120 cal bp and 563 ad , respectively). Mass‐transport deposits A and C were most probably triggered by an earthquake, whereas the Rhône delta collapses were likely to be due to sediment overload with a rockfall as the external trigger (mass‐transport deposit G, the Tauredunum event in 563 ad known from historical records), an earthquake (mass‐transport deposit E) or unknown external triggers (mass‐transport deposits D and F). Independent of their origin and trigger mechanisms, numerical simulations show that all of these recorded mass‐transport deposits are large enough to have generated at least metre‐scale tsunamis during mass movement initiation. Since the Tauredunum event in 563 ad , two small‐scale (volumes of 1 to 2 × 10⁶ m³) mass‐transport deposits (H and I) are present in the seismic record, both of which are associated with small lateral slope failures. Mass‐transport deposits H and I might be related to earthquakes in Lausanne/Geneva (possibly) 1322 ad and Aigle 1584 ad , respectively. The sedimentary record of the deep basin of Lake Geneva, in combination with the historical record, show that during the past 3695 years, at least six tsunamis were generated by mass movements, indicating that the tsunami hazard in the Lake Geneva region should not be neglected, although such events are not frequent with a recurrence time of 0·0016 yr^?1.     

Organic geochemical investigation of far-field tsunami deposits of the Kahana Valley,O‘ahu,Hawai‘i

Far-field tsunami deposits observed in the Kahana Valley, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i (USA), were investigated for their organic-geochemical content. During short high-energy events, (tsunamis and storms) organic and chemical components are transported with sediment from marine to terrestrial areas. This study investigates the use of anthropogenic based organic geochemical compounds (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides and organochlorides) as a means to identify tsunami deposits. Samples were processed by solid–liquid extraction and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A total of 21 anthropogenic marker compounds were identified, of which 11 compounds were selected for detailed analysis. Although the tsunami deposits pre-date industrial activity in Hawai‘i by several hundred years, distinct changes were found in the concentrations of anthropogenic marker compounds between sandy tsunami deposits and the surrounding mud/peat layers, which may help in identifying tsunami deposits within cores. As expected, low overall concentrations of anthropogenic markers and pollutants were observed due to the lack of industrial input-sources and little anthropogenic environmental impact at the study site. This geochemical characterization of tsunami deposits shows that anthropogenic markers have significant potential as another high-resolution, multi-proxy method for identifying tsunamis in the sedimentary record.     

The 1996 Sulawesi Tsunami

On 1 January, 1996 at 16:05 p.m. local time, an earthquake of magnitude M = 7.8 struck the central part of Sulawesi Island (Indonesia). It was accompanied by tsunami waves 2–4 m high. Nine people were killed and 63 were injured. A tsunami survey was conducted by Indonesian and Russian specialists. The measured tsunami runup heights and eyewitness accounts are reported and discussed. Historical data on the Sulawesi Island tsunamis are analysed and tsunami risk prediction in the central part of Sulawesi Island carried out for the first time.     

Emplacement of a Debris Avalanche during the 1883 eruption of Krakatau (Sunda Straits,Indonesia)

Conclusion The data collected during the Mentawai cruise help to clarify understanding of the 1883 eruption of Krakatau. We have previously discussed the weaknesses of the interpretation of Williams (1941) and others (Self and Rampino 1981) and emphasized that only a Mount St. Helens-type collapse during the course of the eruption could account for all the characteristics of the eruption and of the related deposits.The discovery on land of deposits attributable to a debris-avalanche, in the stratigraphic position where they were expected, is a strong argument for the validity of our scenario.Marine surveys confirm that the sea bottom around Krakatau is covered by a thick ignimbritic deposit. But the presence of this deposit does not invalidate the presence of a debris-avalanche deposit under the ignimbrites. The hummocky morphology favours this hypothesis.Flank-failure of volcanoes is generally considered as a very efficient mechanism for triggering tsunamis (Kienle et al. 1987; Siebert et al. 1987). However, the majority of the volcanoes where flank-failure has been described are tall and bulky and the collapse of a broad edifice like Krakatau may be surprising. However the geological evidence shows that such a mechanism can act at various scales; for example the flank collapse of Mayu Yama volcano (height 700 m, volume 0,3 km³), a parasitic cone of Unzen volcano (Japan), triggered a debris-avalanche into the sea that was 1 km long, with a characteristic hummocky surface; the resulting tsunami killed 9528 people (Katayama 1974). In the same way, a partial collapse of Iliwerung volcano, Indonesia (50 × 10⁶ m³) in July 1979, triggered a tsunami which killed several hundred people (McClelland et al. 1989). At Krakatau, the main summit was 822 m asl; the collapse took place along the edge of the prehistoric caldera and this structural unconformity probably facilitated the triggering of the process.     

Tsunami vulnerability evaluation in the Mentawai islands based on the field survey of the 2010 tsunami

On October 25, 2010, a large earthquake occurred off the coast of the Mentawai islands in Indonesia, generating a tsunami that caused damage to the coastal area of North Pagai, South Pagai, and Sipora islands. Field surveys were conducted soon after the event by several international survey teams, including the authors’. These surveys clarified the tsunami height distribution, the damage that took place, and residents’ awareness of tsunamis in the affected islands. Heights of over 5 m were recorded on the coastal area of the Indian Ocean side of North and South Pagai islands and the south part of Sipora island. In some villages, it was difficult to evacuate immediately after the earthquake because of the lack of routes to higher ground or the presence of rivers. Residents in some villages had taken part in tsunami drills or education; however, not all villages shared awareness of tsunami threats. In the present paper, based on the results of these field surveys, the vulnerability of these islands with regards to future tsunami threats was analyzed. Three important aspects of this tsunami disaster, namely the geographic disadvantage of the islands, the resilience of buildings and other infrastructure, and people’s awareness of tsunamis, are discussed in detail, and corresponding tsunami mitigation strategies are explained.     

Evidence of extreme wave events from boulder deposits on the south-east coast of Malta (Central Mediterranean)

Large boulder accumulations have been observed on various coasts bordering the Mediterranean and have been associated with extreme wave events such as powerful storms or tsunamis. This study provides an in-depth analysis of 430 boulder deposits, located along a 3.5 km stretch of rocky coast situated on the SE of the Maltese Islands. It includes a geomorphometric analysis of the observed boulders and use of numerical modelling to estimate wave height required to initiate boulder movement. Comparisons of aerial imagery over a period of 46 years have made it possible to identify boulder movement that could only be attributed to storm waves, given that no local tsunamigenic event has been recorded over this time period. Positioned in the central Mediterranean, the Maltese Islands are exposed to potential tsunamis generated by seismic activity associated with the Malta Escarpment, and the Calabrian and Hellenic arcs. Although imprints from historic tsunami impact cannot be excluded, results indicate that the area is exposed to strong storm waves that are capable of displacing some of the very large boulders observed on site.

     

A geological record of multiple Pleistocene tsunami inundations in an oceanic island: The case of Maio,Cape Verde

In the Central Atlantic archipelagos – the Canaries, Cape Verde, Madeira and the Azores – tsunami hazard is often regarded as low, when compared with other extreme wave events such as hurricanes and storms. The geological record of many of these islands, however, suggests that tsunami hazard may be underestimated, notwithstanding being lower than in areas adjacent to subduction zones, such as the margins of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Moreover, tsunamis in oceanic islands are generally triggered by local large-scale volcanic flank collapses, for which little is known about their frequency, making it difficult to estimate the probability of a new occurrence. Part of the problem lies in the fact that tsunami deposits are usually difficult to date, and few islands in the world exhibit evidence for repeated tsunami inundation on a protracted timescale. This study reports on the presence of abundant tsunami deposits (conglomerates and sandstones) on Maio Island (Cape Verde) and discusses their stratigraphy, sedimentological characteristics, probable age and tsunamigenic source. Observations indicate that four distinct inundation events of variable magnitude took place during the Pleistocene. One of the tsunami deposits yielded a high-confidence U/Th age of 78·8 ± 0·9 ka, which overlaps within error with the 73 ± 7 ka age proposed for Fogo volcano's flank collapse, an event known to have had a significant tsunami impact on nearby Santiago Island. This shows that the Fogo tsunami also impacted Maio, resulting in runups in excess of 60 m above coeval sea-level at ca 120 km from the source. Two older deposits, possibly linked to recurrent flank collapses of the Tope de Coroa volcano in Santo Antão Island, yielded lower-confidence ages of 479 to 390 ka and 360 to 304 ka. A younger deposit (<78 ka) remains undated. In summary, the geological record of Maio exhibits well-preserved evidence of repeated tsunami inundation, reinforcing the notion that tsunami hazard is not so low at volcanic archipelagos featuring prominent and highly-active volcanoes such as in Cape Verde.