Characteristics of 2004 tsunami deposits of the northern Tamil Nadu coast, southeastern India

Resumen

The 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami left significant sand deposits along the coastal tract of
southeast India (Tamil Nadu state). These deposits serve as a
benchmark to understand the effects of present day tsunami on the
coastline. Additionally, the geological signatures of tsunami in the
coastal stratigraphy can assist in providing modern analogs for
identification and interpretation of ancient tsunami. This article
presents the field observations of tsunami deposits, their internal
stratigraphy and foraminiferal distribution, all of which varied
from north to south depending upon coastal geomorphology, near shore
bathymetry and sediment sources. In a few places, the tsunami
deposits have been reworked due to subsequent events that caused
modification in the internal stratigraphy. The tsunami deposits of
the northern Tamil Nadu coast comprise at least 50% or more reworked
foraminiferal specimens, indicating that the tsunami sediments may
have been derived from a paleostrandline from a water depth of at
least 45 m