The tsunamites problem. Why are fossil tsunamites so rare?

Abstract

Tsunami is a common phenomenon and one of the most dangerous natural hazards of the modern world. Taking into account the relative high frequency of tsunamis in historical times, we can expect accordingly rich geological records of similar events from fossil formations. However, palaeotsunami deposits are surprisingly rare, mainly because of the difficulty of discerning them from sediments formed by other processes, e.g. storms. Part of the problem lies in the definition of tsunamite, which refers only to the triggering process, and in a different approach while discerning modern and fossil tsunamites. Modern tsunamites are identified by connecting the deposits to a particular historical tsunami event, even if they contain no diagnostic sedimentological features - an approach, which cannot be applied to fossil formations. This can lead to an impression that modern tsunami deposits are much more common than their fossil counterparts, which in turn suggest great intensification of tsunami events in historical times. Lately, a great number ofpapers have been published on sedimentary effects of modern tsunamis. The studies concentrated on land and near-shore areas. Many authors point out that the sedimentary record left by tsunami is commonly surprisingly mean and with a very low preservation potential. When interpreting fossil successions, the most important features that might indicate their tsunamite genesis are: mixing of material derivedfrom various facial zones, evidence of deep erosion and long transport, and association with other symptoms of seismic activity. The stromatoporoid biostromal accumulations in the Upper Silurian ofPodolia are presented here as possible palaeotsunamite deposits. Thick layers of redeposited stromatoporoids within fine-grained peritidal deposits are interpreted as an effect of onshore transport of this relatively light material during high-energy sedimentary events, such as tsunami. In many ways, the stromatoporoid beds resemble modern accumulations oftsunami-derived boulders