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Historical Tsunami Records on Russian Island, the Sea of Japan

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Abstract

In this article, we provide data evidencing tsunamis on Russian Island over the last 700 years. Reconstructions are developed based on the analyses of peat bog sections on the coast of Spokoynaya Bay, including layers of tsunami sands. Ancient beach sands under peat were deposited during the final phase of transgression of the Medieval Warm Period. We used data on diatoms and benthic foraminifers to identify the marine origin of the sands. The grain size compositions of the tsunami deposits were used to determine the sources of material carried by the tsunamis. The chronology of historical tsunamis was determined based on the radiocarbon dating of the underlying organic deposits. There was a stated difference between the deposition environments during tsunamis and large storms during the Goni (2015) and Lionrock (2016) typhoons. Tsunami deposits from 1983 and 1993 were found in the upper part of the sections. The inundation of the 1993 tsunami did not exceed 20 m or a height of 0.5 m a.m.s.l. (0.3 above high tide). The more intensive tsunami of 1983 had a run-up of 0.65 m a.m.s.l. and penetrated inland from the shoreline up to 40 m. Sand layer of tsunami 1940 extend in land up to ~ 50 m from the present shoreline. Evidence of six tsunamis was elicited from the peat bog sections, the deposits of which are located 60 m from the modern coastal line. The deposits of strong historic tsunamis in the Japan Sea region in 1833, 1741, 1614 (or 1644), 1448, the XIV–XV century and 1341 were also identified on Russian Island. Their run-ups and inundation distances were also determined. The strong historic tsunamis appeared to be more intensive than those of the XX century, and considering the sea level drop during the Little Ice Age, the inundation distances were as large as 250 m.

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Acknowledgements

The work was undertaken with financial support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR), Russia (grant # 15-05-00179), and the FEB RAS Program “Far East” (grant #18-5-003). The 2016 field work was also supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) (grant # 14-50-00095). We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for help and productive comments that significantly improved the manuscript.

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  1. Pacific Geographical Institute, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, FEB RAS, Radio Street, 7, 690041, Vladivostok, Russia

    N. G. Razjigaeva, L. A. Ganzey, T. A. Grebennikova, E. D. Ivanova & K. S. Ganzey

  2. St.-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Kh. A. Arslanov

  3. Shirshov’ Institute of Oceanology RAS, Moscow, Russia

    A. A. Kharlamov

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  1. N. G. Razjigaeva
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Razjigaeva, N.G., Ganzey, L.A., Grebennikova, T.A. et al. Historical Tsunami Records on Russian Island, the Sea of Japan. Pure Appl. Geophys. 175, 1507–1523 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-018-1840-y

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