Skip to main content

Onshore Tsunami Deposits Caused by the 1993 Southwest Hokkaido and 1983 Japan Sea Earthquakes

  • Chapter
Tsunamis: 1992–1994

Part of the book series: Pageoph Topical Volumes ((PTV))

Abstract

Onshore tsunami deposits resulting from the 1993 Southwest Hokkaido and 1983 Japan Sea earthquakes were described to evaluate the feasibility of tsunami deposits for inferring paleoseismic events along submarine faults. Tsunami deposits were divided into three types, based on their composition and aerial distribution: (A) deposits consisting only of floating materials, (B) locally distributed siliclastic deposits, and (C) widespread siliclastic deposits. The most widely distributed tsunami deposits consist of the first two types. Type C deposits are mostly limited to areas where the higher tsunami runup was observed. The scale of tsunami represented by vertical tsunami runup is an important factor controlling the volume of tsunami deposits. The thickest deposits, about 10 cm, occur behind coastal dunes. To produce thick siliclastic tsunami deposits, a suitable source area, such as sand bar or dune, must be available in addition to sufficient vertical tsunami runup. Estimation of the amounts of erosion and deposition indicates that tsunami deposits were derived from both onshore and shoreface regions. The composition and grain size of the tsunami deposits strongly reflect the nature of the sedimentary materials of their source area. Sedimentary structures of the tsunami deposits suggest both low and high flow régimes. Consequently, it seems very difficult to identify tsunami deposits based only on grain size distribution or sedimentary structure of a single site in ancient successions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Atwater, B. F. (1987), Evidence for the Great Holocene Earthquakes along the Outer Coast of Washington State, Science 236, 942–944

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atwater, B. R. (1992), Geologic Evidence for Earthquakes during the Past 2000 Years along the Copalis River, Southern Coastal Washington, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 1901–1919

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atwater, B. F., and Moore, A. L. (1992), A Tsunami about 1000 Years Ago in Puget Sound, Washington, Science 258, 1614–1617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourgeois, J., and Reinhart, M. A. (1989), Onshore Erosion and Deposition by the 1960 Tsunami at the Rio Lingue Estuary, South-Central Chile, EOS 70, 1331

    Google Scholar 

  • Clague, J. J., and Bobrowsky, P. T. (1994), Tsunami Deposits beneath Tidal Marshes on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 106, 1293–1303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clifton, H. E. (1976), Wave-formed sedimentary structures—a conceptual model, In Beach and Nearshore Sedimentation (eds. Davis, R. A. Jr., and Ethington, R. L.), Spec. Publ. Soc. Econ. Paleontol. Miner. 24, 126–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, A. G. (1994), Geomorphological Effects of Tsunami Runup and Backwash, Geomorphology 10, 83 –94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, A. G., Long, D., and Smith, D. E. (1988), The Storegga Slides: Evidence from Eastern Scotland for a Possible Tsunami, Marine Geology 82, 271–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, A. G., Foster, I. D L., Shi, S., Smith, D. E., and Long, D. (1991), The Identification of Tsunami Deposits in Coastal Sediment Sequences, Sci. Tsunami Hazards 9, 73–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Field Survey Team of Tohoku Univ. and Akita Univ.—Matsumori, H., Ikeda, H., Shuto, N., Oritz, M., Takahashi, T., Kawamata, S., Noji, M., Kabutoyama, H., Ito, T., Imamura, F., Yamaki, S., and Matsuyama, M. (1993). Field Survey of the 1993 Hokkaido Nansei-Oki Earthquake. Abstr. 1993 Seismological Soc. Jpn. 2, 51 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukaura Town, Document of the Hazard of Mid-Japan Sea Earthquake (Fukaura Town Office, Akita 1983) (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hachimori Town, Document of the 1983 Japan Sea Earthquake and Tsunamis (Hachimori Town Office, Akita 1984) (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hokkaido Tsunami Survey Group (1993), Tsunami Devastates Japanese Coastal Region, EOS 74, 417–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ingram, R. L. (1954), Terminology for the Thickness of Stratification and Parting Units in Sedimentary Rocks, Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 65, 935–938

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kato, K., and Tsuji, Y. (1993), Numerical Calculation of the Tsunami of the 1993 Hokkaido-Nansei-Oki Earthquake with Comparison of Surveyed Height, Abstr. 1993 Seismological Soc. Jpn. 2, 54 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kato, Y. (1987), Run-up Height of Yaeyama Seismic Tsunami (1977), J. Seismol. Soc. Jpn. 40, 377–381 (in Japanese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kon’no, E., ed. (1961), Geological Observations of the Sanriku Coastal Region Damaged by Tsunami due to the Chile Earthquake in 1960, Contrib. Inst. Geol. Paleontol. Tohoku Univ. 52, 1–45 (in Japanese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, D., Smith, D. E., and Dawson, A. G. (1989), A Holocene Tsunami Deposit in Eastern Scotland, J. Quat. Sci. 4, 61–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minehama Village, Japan Sea EarthquakeAttacking Tsunamis (Minehama Village Office, Akita 1984) (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Minehama Village, Report on the Damage of Rice Paddy Caused by Japan Sea Earthquake (Minehama Village Office, Akita 1986) (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Minoura, K., and Nakaya, S. (1991), Traces of Tsunami Preserved Inter-tidal Lacustrine and Mash Deposits: Some Examples from Northeast Japan, J. Geol. 99, 265–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minoura, K., and Nakata, T. (1994), Discovery of an Ancient Tsunami Deposit in Coastal Sequences of Southwest Japan: Verification of a Large Historic Tsunami, Island Arc 3, 66–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, G. W., and Moore, J. G. (1988), Large-scale bed forms in boulder gravel produced by giant waves in Hawaii. In Sedimentologic Consequences of Convulsive Geologic Events (Clifton, H. E., ed.), Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 229, 101–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, J. G., Claugue, D. A., Holcom, R. T., Lipman, P. W., Normark, W. R., and Torrewsan, M. E. (1989), Prodigious Submarine Landslides on Hawaiian Ridge, J. Geophys. Res. 94, 17465–17484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakanishi, I., and Kikuchi, M. (1993), Features of the 1993 Southwest Hokkaido Earthquakes, Japan Soc. for Earth. Engin. Promotion News 133, 1–5 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakata, T., and Kawana, T. (1993), Historical and prehistorical large tsunamis in the southern Ryukyus, Japan. In Tsunami93, Proc. IUGG/IOC Int. Tsunami Symp. Wakayama Japan, August 23–27, 1993, pp. 297–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura, Y., and Miyaji, N. (1995), Spacial Distribution and Lithofacies of Tsunami Deposits Associated with the 1993 Southwest Hokkaido Earthquake and the 1640 Hokkaido Komagatake Eruption, Pure and Appl. Geophys., this issue

    Google Scholar 

  • Okamura, M., Shimazaki, K., Nakata, T., Chida, N., Miyatake, T., Maemoku, H., Tsutsumi, H., Nakamura, T., Yamaguchi, C., and Ogawa, M. (1993), Submarine Active Faults in the Northwestern Part of Beppu Bay, JapanOn a New Technique for Submarine Active Fault Survey—, Mem. Geol. Soc. Japan 40, 65–74 (in Japanese with English abstracts)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sieh, K. E. (1978), Prehistoric Large Earthquakes Produced by Slip on the San Andreas Fault at Pallet Creek, California, J. Geophys. Res. 83, 3907–3939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shimamoto, T., Tsutsumi, A., Kawamoto, E., Miyawaki, M., and Sato, H. (1995), Tsunami Disasters Caused by the 1993 Southwest Hokkaido Earthquake and Their Implication for the Prevention of Future Tsunami Disasters, Pure and Appl. Geophys., this issue

    Google Scholar 

  • Shuto, N. (1984), Trace Height of Tsunami of the Japan Sea Earthquake of 1983, Tsunami Engin. Technical Rept. Tohoku Univ. 1, 88–267 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, C., and Mella, A. (1963), Modifications to the Soil Pattern of South-central Chile Resulting from Seismic and Associated Phenomena during the Period May to August 1960, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 53, 1367–1402

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshimura, A., Large-scale Tsunamis on the Sanriku Coast (Chuou-Koron, Tokyo 1984)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1995 Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sato, H., Shimamoto, T., Tsutsumi, A., Kawamoto, E. (1995). Onshore Tsunami Deposits Caused by the 1993 Southwest Hokkaido and 1983 Japan Sea Earthquakes. In: Imamura, F., Satake, K. (eds) Tsunamis: 1992–1994. Pageoph Topical Volumes. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7279-9_18

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7279-9_18

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7643-5102-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-7279-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics