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The upper part of field section 3 at the East Beach cliff, showing rounded (beach) pebbles in a multi-modal deposit overlying wall remains of a Minoan building, ca. 3.5 m above current sea level. Some pebbles show imbrication, indicative of strong water currents during deposition.
Source publication
The explosive eruption at Santorini in the Aegean Sea during the second millennium BCE was the largest Holocene volcanic upheaval in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The eruption was disastrous for the Minoan settlements at Santorini, but the effect on human society in the neighbouring islands and regions is still clouded in uncertainty. Tsunami g...
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Previous research indicates that Southern Kyushu Island, southwestern Japan, may have been struck by a large tsunami during the 7.3 ka caldera-forming Kikai eruption, but this has not been confirmed. This paper describes sedimentological and chronostratigraphic evidence of a tsunami during the 7.3 ka Kikai caldera eruption based on examples from Ya...
Tsunami generated by the Late Bronze Age (LBA) eruption of Thera were simulated using synthetic tide records produced for selected nearshore (˜20 m depths) sites of northern Crete, the Cyclades Islands, SW Turkey and Sicily. Inundation distances inland were also calculated along northern Crete. Modelling was performed by incorporating fully non-lin...
Previous research indicates that Yakushima Island, southwestern Japan, may have been struck by a huge tsunami before or soon after the arrival of the Koya pyroclastic flow during the 7.3 ka caldera‐forming Kikai eruption, but this has not yet been confirmed. This paper describes sedimentological and chronostratigraphic evidence showing that Unit TG...
Indonesia is exposed to earthquakes, volcanic activities, and associated tsunamis. This is particularly the case for Lombok and Sumbawa Islands in West Nusa Tenggara, where evidence of tsunamis is frequently observed in its coastal sedimentary record. If the 1815 CE Tambora eruption on Sumbawa Island generated a tsunami with well-identified traces...
Radiocarbon dating at the Tell el-Daba site in the Nile Delta has created an enigma for many years. Despitegreat efforts, the difference of about 120 yr between the chronology based on 14C dates and the one based on archaeologicalevidence linked to the Egyptian historical chronology has not been solved. In order to foster open discussions on this d...
Citations
... Anak Krakatoa is a volcano located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, Indonesia (Giachetti et al., 2012). The Krakatoa volcano erupted violently in 1883 and caused a tsunami to run 41 m and caused up to 36000 fatalities (Mutaqin et al., 2019), and destroyed 295 settlements around the Sunda Strait (Bruins et al., 2008). The eruption also formed a caldera with a depth of 200 to 280 meters below sea level (Umbgrove, 1926). ...
The Anak Krakatoa is a small volcano located in the Sunda Strait, specifically between the islands of Java and Sumatra, Indonesia. The Anak Krakatoa is currently still an active volcano. This mountain has erupted many times and has undergone various changes in its height, shape, and area, with the last eruption in July 2022. This study shows the changes in Anak Krakatoa, especially its shape and size, based on Landsat remote sensing data from 1990 to 2022. Landsat imageries used in this study are Landsat 5,7, and 8. To obtain information on the site of Anak Krakatoa, it begins by separating the sea and land around the mountain using the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI). After the land is detected, then the area is calculated. The volcano reached its minimum area in 1988 and its maximum area in 2022.
... The tsunami cluster network for the period 2000-2010 can be seen in Fig. 14B. Topics such as the eastern Mediterranean tsunami of 365 AD (Shaw et al. 2008), large boulder deposits by tsunami waves (Scicchitano et al. 2007), geoarchaeological tsunami deposits (Bruins et al. 2008), numerical modelling of a landslide-generated tsunami (Assier-Rzadkiewicz et al. 2000), tsunami catalogs for the Eastern Mediterranean (Ambraseys and Synolakis 2010), the influence of the atmospheric wave velocity in the coastal amplification of meteotsunamis (Marcos et al. 2003) are discussed in this cluster. ...
Background
The Mediterranean Sea is a region characterized by high seismic activity, with at least 200 tsunami events recorded from the fourth century to the present twenty-first century. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand past tsunami events, earthquake–tsunami generation, tsunami recurrence periods, tsunami vulnerability zones, and tsunami hazard mitigation strategies. Therefore, gaining insights into future trends and opportunities in Mediterranean Sea tsunami research is crucial for significantly contributing to all relevant aspects. This study aims to assess such trends and opportunities through a scientometric analysis of publications indexed by Web of Science from 2000 to 2023.
Results
Based on a selection of 329 publications, including research articles, review articles, book chapters, and conference papers, published between 2000 and 2023, Italy has the highest number of publications and citations in this field. The number of publications has increased significantly, especially after the 2004 Indian Ocean, 2011 Tohoku, and 2018 Palu tsunamis. According to the keyword analysis, the terms “tsunami”, “earthquake”, “hazard”, “wave”, “Mediterranean”, “coast”, and “tectonic” were the most frequently used in these publications. Research themes consist of four classifications: motor themes, such as seismic hazard; specific but well-developed themes, like tsunamiite; emerging or disappearing themes, for example, climate change; and general or basic themes, such as equations and megaturbidite. The number of publications related to the motor theme classification continued to grow throughout 2000–2023. Topics from 2011–2023 are more complex compared to 2000–2010, characterized by the emergence of new keywords such as evacuation planning, risk reduction, risk mitigation, building vulnerability, coastal vulnerability, climate change, probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment (PTVA-3 and PTVA-4). However, topics that were popular in the 2000–2010 period (e.g., paleotsunami deposits, earthquake, and tsunami propagation analysis) also increased in 2011–2023.
Conclusions
Research topics with high centrality and density such as seismic hazard will continue to develop and prospect. The cluster network of this topic includes seismoturbidites, sedimentary features, tsunami modeling, active faults, catalog, and historical earthquakes.
... Volcanoes in island arc settings impact humans and the environment through explosive eruptions (both subaerial and submarine), tephra fallout, pyroclastic flows, earthquakes, tsunamis, and ocean acidification. Some large eruptions, such as the Late Bronze Age eruption of Santorini, may have destabilized entire civilizations (e.g., Bruins et al., 2008). On the other hand, volcanoes can host rich ecosystems and fertilize the oceans (Duggen et al., 2010;Christakis et al., 2018). ...
... The level of seismicity is among the highest in Europe (Sachpazi et al., 2016;Brüstle et al., 2014), and the largest twentieth-century shallow earthquake in Europe (M 7.5) took place there in 1956 (Okal et al., 2009). The Late Bronze Age (LBA) eruption of Santorini of about 3.6 ka was one of the largest of the Holocene Epoch worldwide; it may have influenced the decline of the Minoan civilization on Crete and thus is an iconic event in both volcanology and archaeology (e.g., Bruins et al., 2008). The 1650 CE eruption of Kolumbo Volcano killed 70 people on Santorini through gas release and tsunami inundation (Fuller et al., 2018;Ulvrova et al., 2016;Dominey-Howes et al., 2010;Cantner et al., 2014). ...
... The Minoan eruption is associated with a significant tsunami, whose deposits have been identified on the surrounding islands, on the northern coast of Crete, and as far as Turkey and Israel (Bruins et al., 2008;Novikova et al., 2011;Lespez et al., 2021;Paris et al., 2022). There is an ongoing debate about the tsunami source mechanisms during the Minoan eruption, with caldera collapse and the emplacement of pyroclastic flows being the primary candidates in the publications above. ...
The Minoan eruption of Santorini is one of the largest Holocene volcanic events and produced several cubic kilometers of pyroclastic flows emplaced on the submerged flanks of the volcano. Marine geophysical surveys reveal a multitude of undulating seafloor bedforms (USBs) around Santorini. While similar structures are known from other volcanoes worldwide, Santorini offers the unique opportunity to relate USB formation with volcanic processes during one of the best-studied volcanic eruptions worldwide. In this study, we combine high-resolution seismic reflection data with multibeam echosounder bathymetry to reveal the internal architecture of USBs around Santorini and to relate their morphological characteristics to formational processes. The USBs around Santorini were formed during the Minoan eruption and represent the seafloor expression of mass transport deposits. Three types of deposits differ in composition or origin. (1) Depositional USBs, which can only be found to the north of the island, where Minoan eruption ignimbrites reach their maximum thickness and the undulating topography is the result of thrusting within the deposit. (2) USBs related to slope failures of volcaniclastics from the entire Thera Pyroclastic Formation, which can be found east, south, and west of the island. (3) USBs associated with deep-seated deformation, which occurs on the southwestern flank along an area affected by rift tectonics and extends to a depth of more than 200 m below the seafloor. In cases (2) and (3), the USBs are formed upslope by block rotation and downslope by thrusting. Our study indicates that these processes may have contributed to the generation of the devastating Minoan tsunami. Since Santorini is located in one of the most tectonically active regions in the Mediterranean, capable of producing earthquakes with magnitude M7+, our study has important implications for hazard assessment. A strong earthquake located close to the island may have the potential to reactivate slope instabilities posing a previously undetected but potentially significant tsunami hazard.
... Volcanic ash can be dated through analysis of its chemical signature; cattle bones and marine shells can be radiocarbon dated; and pot sherds dated archaeologically on the basis of pottery types and styles (correlated with layers containing similar sherds in stratigraphic successions from the excavated town nearby, and from other sites as far away as Egypt). All these combined enable the tsunami deposit to be associated with an eruption of the Santorini Volcano in the eastern Mediterranean Sea roughly 120 km north of Crete in about 1600 BCE (Bruins et al., 2008). (b) General view of the setting of the tsunami deposit on the shoreline and the position of Section 1, which is shown in the close-up image in (a). ...
... (b) General view of the setting of the tsunami deposit on the shoreline and the position of Section 1, which is shown in the close-up image in (a). Note the walls (W) that are emerging from the cliff through erosion, partly covered by the tsunami deposit: these are elements of buildings connected with the Minoan town nearby (Bruins et al., 2008). Images reproduced courtesy of Hendrick Bruins and Elsevier. ...
This paper outlines the stratigraphic basis of a proposed Anthropocene Event. It considers a diachronous event framework to be more appropriate for understanding the Anthropocene than treating it as a new geological series/epoch. Four general categories of material evidence are identified as of particular relevance: ‘artificial’ strata with natural constituents; humanly modified ground; legacy sediments; and ‘natural’ geo-deposits containing artefactual material. All these arise from the interaction and mixing of human, natural, and hybrid human-natural forces. Taken together, such stratigraphic evidence supports the case for recognising the Anthropocene as an unfolding event.
... Sebagai contoh, di Simeuleu, Aceh, kearifan lokal smong yang masih lestari hingga saat ini telah terbukti menyelamatkan masyarakat dari bencana tsunami. Dalam artikel ini akan di bahas contoh-JURNAL PANALUNGTIK Vol. 5, No. 1, Juli 2022: 1-15 Gambar 3. Lapisan geoarkeologi bukti kejadian tsunami pada periode Minoan di Santorini (Sumber: Bruins et al. 2008). ...
Many archeological sites that exist today are associated with catastrophic events in the past. Some archeological remains were found buried in volcanic ash materials, flood deposits, and even it related to tsunami that was happened in the past. For example, a paleotsunami research that was conducted in the western coast of Aceh has identified that one of the paleotsunami occurance which happened in 15th century might have responsible for the cultural hiatus in the northern of Sumatra during that century. It was hypothesized that the 15th century’s tsunami destroyed the pre-15th century civilizations and cultures. Unfortunately, the study of disaster geoarcheology especially in Indonesia is not a popular research topic, the connection between the archeological remains with the occurrence of disaster is still not properly discovered. Through the geoarcheological studies, not only the community response to the disaster can be identified but also the recurrence interval of the disaster can be predicted. For example, in Simeuleu, Aceh, the local wisdom of smong, a tradition that still exists today, has been proven to save many lives from tsunamis. In this paper, examples of geoarcheological studies will be discussed. Our understanding of the history of the archeological sites and their connection with the disaster is an important aspect and this information must be applied for the disaster mitigation and expected to be able to support achieving the goal of sustainable development.
... Dai contesti centroeuropei, passiamo ora ad osservare un caso studio del II millennio a.C. della Creta minoica. L'insediamento di Palaikastro (Creta) ha avuto un'occupazione di notevole durata, con uno sviluppo dal Bronzo Antico sino al Tardo minoico IIIC 8 (1200 a.C. circa; Bruins et al. 2008;Haciguzeller 2006;MacGillivray et al. 1987). È stato analizzato uno spazio suddiviso in ambienti fisici, venuti alla luce nel corso di un decennio di scavi (1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996), ascrivibili in gran parte al periodo Neopalaziale (1450 a.C. circa). ...
Nell’ambito delle società a economia produttiva della preistoria recente, l’organizzazione delle attività di produzione e consumo all’interno degli spazi insediamentali è elemento strutturale rispondente all’articolazione e agli equilibri tra individui o gruppi di individui. Il relativo studio è dunque cruciale per la comprensione dei processi di diversificazione intracomunitaria e poi affermazione delle disuguaglianze.
La ricerca esposta in questo lavoro ha avuto al centro questa sfida scientifica e l’ha affrontata attraverso un approccio interdisciplinare e una lettura contestuale, in chiave funzionale e della distribuzione spaziale, dei manufatti e dei resti bioarcheologici provenienti da uno dei contesti dell’età del Bronzo più importanti del Mediterraneo centrale nel quadro del II millennio a.C.: l’insediamento fortificato di Coppa Nevigata.
... Dataset (a) Samples 1-33 all from non-Thera loci directly associated either with airfall Theran tephra (samples from just before this tephra fall) at Trianda, Rhodes (for archaeological sequence at Trianda, see [71,72]) or from Thera tsunami contexts at Palaikastro on Crete, Ç eşme-Bağlararası, western Turkey and the Letoon Sanctuary, Eşençay Delta, southwestern Turkey [45,52,54,73]. This dataset includes the eruption terminus post quem (TPQ) from a tree-ring defined series of 14 C dates on an oak sample from Miletos in western Turkey [74] that allows a wiggle-match dating for the waney edge (last ring under bark) and so the felling date for this timber which was found buried under Thera tephra (see Bayesian chronological modelling below). ...
... While some argue, although it is not well or clearly represented, that an LMIB Early phase can be identified at a few sites and represents a time before the appearance of the late LMIB Special Palatial Tradition (e.g. Marine Style), no such early phase has yet been recognized at several other sites ( [93,96] at pp. [51][52]). This is a problem, and trying to 14 C date initial (post-Theraeruption) early LMIB contexts should be a priority for future work. ...
... This comparison enables us to achieve both an eruption date free from any possible volcanic CO 2 influence, and quantification of any possible offset relevant to samples from Thera itself. Organic samples associated with Thera eruption tsunami and airfall tephra deposits at loci well away (>200km) from Thera (northeast at Ç eşme-Bağlararası, western Turkey, east in the Letoon Sanctuary, Eşençay Delta, southwestern Turkey, southeast at Palaikastro, Crete, and east at Trianda on Rhodes) (Fig 3) [3,45,52,54,74], with no plausible volcanic CO 2 input, enable substantial progress. We can compare 14 C dates on organic samples from these contexts, stage (v) in terms of the Akrotiri stratigraphic sequence (see above), versus those on olive tree elements likely killed and buried by the main eruption on Thera (also dating stage (v) in terms of Akrotiri), and versus those from the preceding final use and abandonment stages (ii)/(iii) at Akrotiri, in order to address and resolve the question of volcanic CO 2 , while in addition clarifying the timing between stages (ii)/(iii) and (v) (see below: Bayesian chronological modelling). ...
The historical relevance of the Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption is unclear because of major dating uncertainty. Long placed ~1500 BCE and during the Egyptian New Kingdom (starts ~1565–1540 BCE) by archaeologists, ¹⁴ C pointed to dates ≥50–100 years earlier during the preceding Second Intermediate Period. Several decades of debate have followed with no clear resolution of the problem—despite wide recognition that this uncertainty undermines an ability to synchronize the civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean in the mid-second millennium BCE and write wider history. Recent work permits substantial progress. Volcanic CO 2 was often blamed for the discrepancy. However, comparison of ¹⁴ C dates directly associated with the eruption from contemporary Aegean contexts—both on and remote from Thera—can now remove this caveat. In turn, using Bayesian analysis, a revised and substantially refined date range for the Thera eruption can be determined, both through the integration of the large ¹⁴ C dataset relevant to the Thera eruption with the local stratigraphic sequence on Thera immediately prior to the eruption, and in conjunction with the wider stratigraphically-defined Aegean archaeological sequence from before to after the eruption. This enables a robust high-resolution dating for the eruption ~1606–1589 BCE (68.3% probability), ~1609–1560 BCE (95.4% probability). This dating clarifies long-disputed synchronizations between Aegean and East Mediterranean cultures, placing the eruption during the earlier and very different Second Intermediate Period with its Canaanite-Levantine dominated world-system. This gives an importantly altered cultural and historical context for the New Palace Period on Crete and the contemporary Shaft Grave era in southern Greece. In addition, the revised dating, and a current absence of southern Aegean chronological data placed soon afterwards, highlights a period of likely devastating regional eruption impact in the earlier-mid 16 th century BCE southern Aegean.
... As an example, Paris et al. (2014) studied tsunami deposits to reconstruct the scenario of the tsunamis generated during the 1883 eruption of Krakatau. The generation of tsunami during the ~1600 BCE Minoan eruption of Santorini volcano was also approached based on both geological and archeological studies (Marinatos, 1939;Doumas, 1983;Cita et al., 1984;Cita and Aloisi, 2000;McCoy and Heiken, 2000;Minoura et al., 2000;Dominey-Howes, 2004;Bruins et al., 2008;Goodman-Tchernov et al., 2009;Nomikou et al., 2016a;Aydar et al., 2021;Lespez et al., 2021;Ş ahoglu et al., 2021). Studies on tsunami deposits on the northern coast of Crete and south-western coast of Turkey concluded that wave heights were exceeding 5 m and inundation runup was in the order of 10 m (Minoura et al., 2000;Bruins et al., 2008;Lespez et al., 2021), depending on the local topography. ...
... The generation of tsunami during the ~1600 BCE Minoan eruption of Santorini volcano was also approached based on both geological and archeological studies (Marinatos, 1939;Doumas, 1983;Cita et al., 1984;Cita and Aloisi, 2000;McCoy and Heiken, 2000;Minoura et al., 2000;Dominey-Howes, 2004;Bruins et al., 2008;Goodman-Tchernov et al., 2009;Nomikou et al., 2016a;Aydar et al., 2021;Lespez et al., 2021;Ş ahoglu et al., 2021). Studies on tsunami deposits on the northern coast of Crete and south-western coast of Turkey concluded that wave heights were exceeding 5 m and inundation runup was in the order of 10 m (Minoura et al., 2000;Bruins et al., 2008;Lespez et al., 2021), depending on the local topography. The tsunami is also recorded in the deep-sea sediments of the Ionian Basin as a megaturbidite (Kastens and Cita, 1981;Cita and Aloisi, 2000), and on the continental shelf off Caesarea Maritima, Israel (Goodman-Tchernov et al., 2009). ...
... Based on sedimentological and archeological evidence, Ş ahoglu et al. (2021) identified multiple tsunami events, including a first (and deadly) tsunami preceding the onset of ash fall.It is difficult to infer the maximum altitude (runup) reached by the waves on the coasts of Ios Island, but the large thickness (~80 cm) of the tsunami(s) deposit at a present-day altitude of 2 m suggest that the tsunami inundated a large part of the Manganari coastal plain, but there is no preserved deposit on the slopes around. This runup of 2 m represents a minimum estimate, and it cannot be concluded that tsunami waves were lower to the North of Santorini (Cycladic Islands and western Turkey) compared to the South (Crete and southern Turkey), where wave height probably exceeded 5 m (Minoura et al., 2000;Bruins et al., 2008;Lespez et al., 2021). ...
In this work, we document two distinct tsunami deposits on the coasts of Ios Island, Aegean Sea, Greece. The younger tsunami deposit, dated 1831–1368 cal. BCE, includes both marine sediments and pumices from the ~1600 BCE Minoan eruption of Santorini volcano. This is the first evidence of the Minoan tsunami in the Cycladic Islands North of Santorini. Tsunami waves inundated the Manganari coastal plain, southern coast of Ios, over a distance >200 m (>2 m a.s.l.). The second tsunami deposit reworks pumice from the 22 ka Cape Riva eruption mixed with marine sediment. We assume a Neolithic age for this major tsunami, with a wave runup >13 m a.s.l. on the southern and eastern coasts of Ios. The source of this tsunami - volcanic eruption, landslide, or earthquake - remains unknown. Additionally, we provide the first on-land evidence of Cape Riva deposits outside Santorini, thus questioning previous estimates on the magnitude of this eruption.
... However, tsunami deposits in ancient ports or settlements have been found especially in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean (e.g. Pirazzoli et al. 1992;Dominey-Howes et al. 1999;Stiros and Papageorgiou 2001;Stiros 2001Stiros , 2010Vött et al. 2008;Bruins et al. 2008;Bony et al. 2012;Hadler et al. 2013Hadler et al. , 2020Werner et al. 2018Werner et al. , 2019a. ...
The study area, El Palmar de Vejer, located in the Gulf of Cadiz in southwestern Spain, was severely struck by the AD 1755 Lisbon tsunami. El Palmar de Vejer was chosen as the study area due to the topographical setting, characterized by the flat alluvial floodplain, which has good preconditions as a sedimentary archive for tsunami deposits in order to gain a better understanding of the effects of the Lisbon tsunami based on previous studies and historical descriptions. The sedimentological and geochemical features indicate the processes of successive tsunami wash-overs and subsequent backwash and ponding conditions. An analysis of the major elements revealed a distinction between marine and terrestrial depositional environments. Using organic geochemistry, several different natural compounds were detected (e.g., n-alkanes and n-aldehydes), as well as some anthropogenic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). The results suggest a differentiation between the AD 1755 tsunami deposit and the lagoonal background sediments, thus making it possible to identify tsunami processes. The results of this study analyzing the sedimentary archive provide strong evidence that a multi-proxy approach, with the inclusion of geochemical applications, can confidently detect tsunami deposits, distinguish them from the surrounding background sediments and subsequently characterize their internal structure and composition.KeywordsAD 1755 Lisbon tsunamiGulf of CadizGeochemical signaturesEl Palmar de VejerTsunami wave cycleMulti-proxy analysis
