ELUCIDATION OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION BY TSUBNAMIS

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The fore-arc region of northeast Japan is a terrane of extensive seismic activity and tsunami generation, and the coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean have been repeatedly attacked by tsunamis. On July 13,869 a tsunami triggered by a large-scale earthquake invaded the coastal zones, causing extensive deposition of well-sorted fine sand over the plains. Sedimentological analysis and hydrodynamic modeling indicate that the sand layer was developed by the first wave of the tsunami, and we conclude that low-lying coastal zones are susceptible to extensive flooding during tsunami runup. Traces of large-scale invasion by older tsunamis are recorded in the coastal sequences at regular chronological intervals, and we indicate that the coastal plains of northeast Japan are in danger of tsunami disasters in the near future.The Pacific coast of NE Japan is notorious for the repeated invasion of tsunamis. The Sendai plain, however, has not been affected by a large tsunami since the occurrence of … More the Jogan event. Rapid urbanization has advanced to the coastal areas. It must be recognized that understanding of the timing and scale of potential tsunami occurrence is an urgent requirement, if tsunami mitigation efforts on the densely populated coast are to be successful. The elucidation of the cause and effect of regionally extensive invasion of the Jogan tsunami is indispensable not only to prevent a disaster but also to gain an understanding of tectonic processes of the fore arc. In this study, the Jogan tsunami deposits were studied using sedimentological analyses and hydrodynamic models in an attempt to make clear the mechanism of wave penetration more than 4 km beyond the coastline.More than 100 years have passed since the beginning of scientific observation in NE Japan, and inundation distance of tsunamis exceeding 2 km beyond the shore was never observed during this time interval . It is inferred from the historical documents that seawater inundation by the Jogan tsunami reached 4 km or more inland from the coast. The deep penetration of seawater mean an occurrence of unprecedented large-scale tsunami. Less