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Fossiliferous Lana'i deposits formed by multiple events rather than a single giant tsunami

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  • Ken H. Rubin

    (SOEST, University of Hawaii)

  • Charles H. Fletcher

    (SOEST, University of Hawaii)

  • Clark Sherman

    (SOEST, University of Hawaii)

Abstract

Giant tsunamis, generated by submarine landslides in the Hawaiian Islands, have been thought to be responsible for the deposition of chaotic gravels high on the southern coastal slopes of the islands of Lana'i and Moloka'i, Hawaii. Here we investigate this hypothesis, using uranium–thorium dating of the Hulopoe gravel (on Lana'i) and a study of stratigraphic relationships, such as facies changes and hiatuses, within the deposit. The Hulopoe gravel contains corals of two age groups, representing marine isotope stages 5e and 7 (∼135,000 and 240,000 years ago, respectively), with significant geographical and stratigraphic ordering. We show that the Hulopoe gravel was formed by multiple depositional events, separated by considerable periods of time, thus invalidating the main premise of the ‘giant wave’ hypothesis. Instead, the gravels were probably deposited during interglacial periods (when sea level was relatively high) by typical Hawaiian shoreline processes such as seasonal wave patterns, storm events and possibly ‘normal’ tsunamis, and reached their present height by uplift of Lana'i.

Suggested Citation

  • Ken H. Rubin & Charles H. Fletcher & Clark Sherman, 2000. "Fossiliferous Lana'i deposits formed by multiple events rather than a single giant tsunami," Nature, Nature, vol. 408(6813), pages 675-681, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:408:y:2000:i:6813:d:10.1038_35047008
    DOI: 10.1038/35047008
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    Cited by:

    1. Rhett Butler & David A. Burney & Kenneth H. Rubin & David Walsh, 2017. "The orphan Sanriku tsunami of 1586: new evidence from coral dating on Kaua‘i," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 88(2), pages 797-819, September.
    2. G. Shanmugam, 2012. "Process-sedimentological challenges in distinguishing paleo-tsunami deposits," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 63(1), pages 5-30, August.
    3. M. Jonathan & S. Srinivasalu & N. Thangadurai & N. Rajeshwara-Rao & V. Ram-Mohan & T. Narmatha, 2012. "Offshore depositional sequence of 2004 tsunami from Chennai, SE coast of India," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 62(3), pages 1155-1168, July.
    4. Scott Fisher & James Goff & Andrew Cundy & David Sear, 2023. "A qualitative review of tsunamis in Hawaiʻi," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 118(3), pages 1797-1832, September.

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