Impact of Holocene tsunamis detected in lagoonal environments on Corfu (Ionian Islands, Greece): Geomorphological, sedimentary and microfaunal evidence

Abstract In this paper, we present for the first time geomorphological, sedimentary and microfaunal evidence of palaeotsunami impact on Corfu (Ionian Islands, Greece). The island of Corfu is located in an area of exceptional tectonic stress: towards the south, the African oceanic plate is being subducted underneath the Aegean plate, whereas towards the north, the Adriatic and European plates form a continental collision zone. Recent publications provide evidence of earthquake related co-seismic movements that potentially trigger extreme wave events as well as relative sea level fluctuations. In this context, we investigated two selected near-coast geological archives – the Chalikiopoulou La…

Dyke failures in the Province of Groningen (Netherlands) associated with the 1717 Christmas flood: a reconstruction based on geoscientific field data and numerical simulations

AbstractThe 1717 Christmas flood is one of the most catastrophic storm surges the Frisian coast (Netherlands and Germany) has ever experienced. With more than 13,700 casualties it is the last severe storm surge with a death toll of this order. At the same time, little is known about the hydrodynamic conditions and the morphological effects associated with this storm surge.In this study, 41 potential dyke failures in the Province of Groningen (Netherlands) associated with the 1717 Christmas flood were systematically reconstructed and mapped by using historical maps and literature and by analysing the recent topography in search of typical pothole structures and sediment fans. The dimensions …

Effects of different boundary conditions and palaeotopographies on the onshore response of tsunamis in a numerical model – A case study from western Greece

Abstract Hydrodynamic numerical models are essential in modern tsunami hazard assessment. They allow the economical simulation of possible tsunami scenarios for areas at risk and provide reliable and detailed insights into local onshore dynamics. This is especially true when simulations are calibrated with field traces of past tsunami inundation events. Following this approach, the current study focuses on palaeotsunami events indicated by sedimentary and geomorphological field traces in the northern Gulf of Kyparissia (NW Greece). Based on three different digital elevation models (DEM) – reflecting the recent and two palaeotopographies – various tsunami wave constellations according to the…

Hydro- and morphodynamic tsunami simulations for the Ambrakian Gulf (Greece) and comparison with geoscientific field traces