Linking tsunami deposits, submarine slides and offshore earthquakes

The recognition that many tsunamis are associated with coastal sedimentation has been of great value in the study of tsunamis prehistorically. Geological investigation of such sediments has resulted in the identification of a series of palaeotsunamis that appear to have taken place in different areas of the world. In most cases, however, it has proved difficult to link former tsunamis to specific source mechanisms. Studies of modern tsunamis have also faced difficulties in the recognition of the specific source mechanisms. For example, offshore earthquakes may trigger submarine slides that combine to produce complex patterns of tsunami flooding at the coast.