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Ostracoda as an aid in identifying 2004 tsunami sediments: a report from SE coast of India

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Abstract

Four short core samples were collected from the creek, estuarine regions of southeast (SE) coast of India affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami. The study is aimed to signify the importance of ostracoda species in identifying major natural events (e.g. Tsunamis) in the coastal regions. The presence of many marine ostracoda species in the beach areas and the comparative studies with earlier reports from SE coast indicate that these species were brought by the high-energy tsunami waves. The depositional feature of ostracoda species in the beach and estuarine region also infers on the nature and force of tsunami waves in a particular region. The results clearly support that microfossils can be used to identify the major natural events close to coastal regions.

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Acknowledgments

This work is funded by DST, New Delhi, India through project no. SR/S4/ES135-4.3/2005. SMH wishes to express his thanks to Dr. M. Prithiviraj, DST, New Delhi, India for his help in various aspects and Dr. Brian Atwater for the financial support to this present paper in AOGS 2007 at Bangkok. Special thanks to Dr. P. Ganesan and Mr. S. Arikesan for their help in the field and sample processing. MPJ wishes to express his thanks to EDI, COFAA-IPN and SNI, CONACyT, Mexico.

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  1. Department of Geology, School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai, 600025, India

    S. M. Hussain & S. P. Mohan

  2. Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo (CIIEMAD), Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Calle 30 de Junio de 1520, Barrio la Laguna Ticomán, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P.07340, México DF, México

    M. P. Jonathan

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  1. S. M. Hussain
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Hussain, S.M., Mohan, S.P. & Jonathan, M.P. Ostracoda as an aid in identifying 2004 tsunami sediments: a report from SE coast of India. Nat Hazards 55, 513–522 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-010-9543-4

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