Sedimentary and foraminiferal evidence of the 2011 Tōhoku-oki tsunami on the Sendai coastal plain, Japan

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dc.contributor.authorPilarczyk, JEen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHorton, BPen_AU
dc.contributor.authorWitter, RCen_AU
dc.contributor.authorVane, CHen_AU
dc.contributor.authorChagué-Goff, Cen_AU
dc.contributor.authorGoff, JRen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2020-10-12T22:47:40Zen_AU
dc.date.available2020-10-12T22:47:40Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2012-12-30en_AU
dc.date.statistics2020-10-13en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe 2011 Tōhoku-oki megathrust earthquake (Mw 9.0) generated a tsunami that reached the Sendai coastal plain with flow heights of ~ 2 to 11 m above TP (Tokyo Peil). We examined the tsunami deposit exposed in 14 shallow trenches along a ~ 4.5‐km transect perpendicular to the coast. We primarily document the stratigraphical, sedimentological, foraminiferal and geochemical characteristics of the Tōhoku-oki tsunami deposit and perform a preliminary comparison with sediments deposited by the Jōgan tsunami of A.D. 869. In the coastal forest and rice fields inundated by the Tōhoku-oki tsunami, a poorly sorted, dark brown soil is buried by a poorly sorted, brown, medium-grained sand deposit. In some trenches located more than 1.2 km inland, the sand is capped by a thin muddy-sand layer. The tsunami deposit, although highly variable in thickness, is generally thickest (25 cm) near the coastal dune and thins to less than 5 mm at ~ 4.5 km inland. The tsunami deposit was discriminated from the underlying soil by the appearance of recent and fossil foraminifera and a pronounced increase in grain size that fined upward and landward. The recent foraminifera preserved in the sandy facies of the deposit are rare and showed evidence of prolonged subaerial exposure (e.g. pitting, corrosion, fragmentation). Recent foraminifera likely originated from coastal dune and beach sediments that were breached by the tsunami. Calcified and sediment in-filled, fossil foraminifera are abundant and were eroded from sedimentary units and transported by fluvial or wave activity to Sendai Bay. Trends associated with test size (e.g. decreasing concentration of large test sizes with distance inland) are in agreement with grain size data. At two locations a decrease in total organic carbon and an increase in δ13C were found in the tsunami sand compared with the underlying soil, supporting a beach to intertidal origin for the upper unit. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationPilarczyk, J. E., Horton, B. P., Witter, R. C., Vane, C. H., Chagué-Goff, C., & Goff, J. (2012). Sedimentary and foraminiferal evidence of the 2011 Tōhoku-oki tsunami on the Sendai coastal plain, Japan. Sedimentary Geology, 282, 78-89. doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2012.08.011en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0037-0738en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleSedimentary Geologyen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination78-89en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2012.08.011en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/9891en_AU
dc.identifier.volume282en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevier B.V.en_AU
dc.subjectJapanen_AU
dc.subjectTsunamisen_AU
dc.subjectEarthquakesen_AU
dc.subjectCoastal regionsen_AU
dc.subjectGeologic depositsen_AU
dc.subjectForaminiferaen_AU
dc.subjectSedimentationen_AU
dc.subjectStratigraphyen_AU
dc.subjectGeochemistryen_AU
dc.titleSedimentary and foraminiferal evidence of the 2011 Tōhoku-oki tsunami on the Sendai coastal plain, Japanen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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