DIATOMS IN TSUNAMI DEPOSITS

GEOLOGY OF OCEAN BASINS

PROF. NUNO PIMENTEL

VALENTINA MARTIN
 SUMMARY
• TSUNAMI PHENOMENON

• HOW FRAGMENTATION AND SORTING OF DIATOM

VALVES CAN PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF HIGH-ENERGY
TRANSPORT (TSUNAMI)
• THE POTENTIAL USE OF DIATOMS TO ESTIMATE
TSUNAMI RUNUP BEYOND THE LANDWARD LIMIT OF
SEDIMENTATION
 BUT FIRST, WHAT IS A TSUNAMI?
• Series of enormous waves created by an underwater
disturbance such as an earthquake/seaquake, landslide,
volcanic eruption, or meteorite;

• Can move hundreds of miles per hour in the open ocean and
smash into land with waves as high as 30m;

• The topography of the coastline and the ocean floor will

influence the size of the wave;

• 700 km/h
INDONESIA, 2004

• LARGEST THREAT ON EARTH OF BEING HIT BY EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANIC

ERUPTIONS

• TROPICAL ARCHIPELAGO – ITS EAST-WEST EXTENSION IS GREATER THAN

THAT OF THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES

• MOST OF ITS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN COASTS ARE DEFINED BY A

SUBDUCTION ZONE.

• ALONG THIS DANGEROUS TECTONIC DEMARCATION LINE THE INDO-

AUSTRALIAN PLATE DIVES UNDER AN ASSEMBLAGE OF VARIOUS SMALLER
PLATES.

• THE SERIES OF DEADLY QUAKES WHICH STRUCK THE LESSER SUNDA ISLAND
OF LOMBOK

• WAS THE THIRD LARGEST EARTHQUAKE EVER MEASURED:

• THE MAGNITUDE 9.1 QUAKE WHICH OCCURRED OFF THE NORTHERN COAST OF
SUMATRA AT THE END OF DECEMBER 2004

• 10 -30M WAVES
Dangerous location: close to Circum
the boundaries of the pacific
tectonic plates belt
• When they shock, the
consequences are more
intense
Subduction zone of
Sumatra:
Uncoupled falts

Falt of Big Sumatra

Vertical moviment:
Bottom of the ocean which moves up
Bottm of the ocean wich moves down
• Drawback can be a warning that a tsunami is approaching the shoreline
• Drawback is the visible expression of half a cycle of the tsunami wave, it can last half of
the wave's period (more than 10 minutes).
these waves ,
as they get
close to the
land, they get
slower, quick,
but higher
PALU, 2018
• Movement of the Palu-Koru rift
• short distance from the beach and only 10 km
below the surface
• 5/6 m
• earthquake with 7.5 on the Richter scale
• Earthquake amplified by :
• the thick layers of sediment (less rocks) in
Palu (building contructed above sediments)
• The shape of Palu Bay, causes an effect
where the waves bounce off the shoreline
around these straight bay
 DIATOMS

● Unicellular microalgae
● 2 e 200 μm
● Fresh or marine waters
● For geology studies
○ microscopic siliceous remains (valves)
in sediments

● Secrete microscopic siliceous shells or frustules

○ Resistant to taphonomic degradation (e.G., Dissolution, oxidation)
○ Some sturdy silic wall structures: often well preserved in sedimentary deposition
PHYSICAL AND ECOLOGICAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF DIATOMS
● Generally good diatom preservation in temperate environments

○ Cool temperatures: favorable to the long-term preservation of diatom valves

○ Lower preservation in tropical areas: higher dissolution of the diatom valve in higher
temperatures

■ Diatoms may be found in surface or very

Recent deposits
DIATOMS IN TSUNAMI DEPOSITS
● Identification of anomalous high-energy sand, silt, and mud layers
deposited by tsunamis in low-energy coastal environments
○ coastal marshes, lakes, lagoons, fringing freshwater marshes

● Sensitivity of coastal diatoms to salinity and substrate

○ Provide information about the specific sediment source of the deposits and the mode
of sedimentation (i.E., flow conditions) of a tsunami
○ Help define the runup extent of a tsunami
 INDICATOR FOR SEDIMENT PROVENANCE

Tsunami inundation (flooding)

and resultant diatom
assemblages in a coastal
freshwater lake (core A) and
coastal freshwater wetland
(cores B and C)
 INDICATOR FOR SEDIMENT PROVENANCE
● Presence of certain diatom
species can help estimate the
source, or provenance, of
tsunami sediments
● Valuable information about
the magnitude, flow direction,
and possibly speed of past
tsunamis
● “Chaotic” mix can be grouped
by salinity tolerances and
preferred habitat
2004 TSUNAMI: PHRATHONG ISLAND, THAILAND
i
na
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ts u st a
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th
e r sio
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u
D Ju S

lo
w w nt
tf flo u
rr e
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Fa s lo
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 CONCLUSION AND TAKE HOME MESSAGES

• Prevention
• Tsunami emergency alert
• Community safety
• improve of exit routs
• reconstruction of the past
• the study of tsunami it is no just geology, is related to biology, social and economic
studies
REFERENCES

Dura, tina & hemphill-haley, eileen. (2020). Diatoms in tsunami deposits, geological
records of tsunamis and other extreme waves 1st edition (pp.291-322)

2022 international tsunami information center | uma parceria UNESCO/COI-NOAA

Https://www.Usgs.Gov/centers/pcmsc/science/tsunami-generation-2004-m91-sumatra-and
aman-earthquake
Thank you for your attention

Any questions?