The Arauco Peninsula (37°-38°S) in south-central Chile has been proposed as a possible barrier to the along-strike propagation of megathrust ruptures, separating historical earthquakes to the south ...(1960 AD 1837, 1737, and 1575) and north (2010 AD, 1835, 1751, 1657, and 1570) of the peninsula. However, the 2010 (Mw 8.8) earthquake propagated into the Arauco Peninsula, re-rupturing part of the megathrust that had ruptured only 50 years earlier during the largest subduction zone earthquake in the instrumental record (Mw 9.5). To better understand long-term slip variability in the Arauco Peninsula region, we analyzed four coastal sedimentary sections from two sites (Tirúa, 38.3°S and Quidico, 38.1°S) located within the overlap of the 2010 and 1960 ruptures to reconstruct a ∼600-year record of coseismic land-level change and tsunami inundation. Stratigraphic, lithologic, and diatom results show variable coseismic land-level change coincident with tsunami inundation of the Tirúa and Quidico marshes that is consistent with regional historical accounts of coseismic subsidence during earthquakes along the Valdivia portion of the subduction zone (1960 AD and 1575) and coseismic uplift during earthquakes along the Maule portion of the subduction zone (2010 AD, 1835, 1751). In addition, we document variable coseismic land-level change associated with three new prehistoric earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis in 1470–1570 AD, 1425–1455, and 270–410. The mixed record of coseismic subsidence and uplift that we document illustrates the variability of down-dip and lateral slip distribution at the overlap of the 2010 and 1960 ruptures, showing that ruptures have repeatedly propagated into, but not through the Arauco Peninsula and suggesting the area has persisted as a long-term impediment to slip through at least seven of the last megathrust earthquakes (∼600 years).
•Diatom-based paleogeodetic methods are used to reconstruct coseismic land-level change.•Evidence of variable coseismic slip documented where the AD 2010 and 1960 ruptures overlap.•Mixed record of uplift and subsidence illustrates down-dip and lateral slip variability.•The Arauco Peninsula has been a persistent impediment to slip over multiple earthquake cycles.
The tsunami associated with the giant 9.5 Mw 1960 Chile earthquake deposited an extensive sand layer above organic‐rich soils near Queule (39.3°S, 73.2°W), south‐central Chile. Using the 1960 tsunami ...deposits, together with eye‐witness observations and numerical simulations of tsunami inundation, we tested the tsunami inundation sensitivity of the site to different earthquake slip distributions. Stratigraphically below the 1960 deposit are two additional widespread sand layers interpreted as tsunami deposits with maximum ages of 4960–4520 and 5930–5740 cal BP. This >4500‐year gap of tsunami deposits preserved in the stratigraphic record is inconsistent with written and geological records of large tsunamis in south‐central Chile in 1575, 1837, and possibly 1737. We explain this discrepancy by: (1) poor preservation of tsunami deposits due to reduced accommodation space from relative sea‐level fall during the late Holocene; (2) recently evolved coastal geomorphology that increased sediment availability for tsunami deposit formation in 1960; and/or (3) the possibility that the 1960 tsunami was significantly larger at this particular location than other tsunamis in the past >4500 years. Our research illustrates the complexities of reconstructing a complete stratigraphic record of past tsunamis from a single site for tsunami hazard assessment.
The coastal geomorphology near Queule, Chile preserves evidence of the giant Mw 9.51960 Chile earthquake and two buried paleotsunami deposits within the last ~6000 years. Using the 1960 tsunami deposits, eye‐witness observations, and numerical simulations of tsunami inundation, we tested the sensitivity of the site to different earthquake slip distributions. We consider the role of coastal geomorphic evolution, sea‐level history, and tsunami magnitude in the preservation of paleotsunami depositional records.
On September 16, 2015, a Mw 8.3 earthquake struck the north-central Chile coast, triggering a tsunami observed along 500 km of coastline, between Huasco (28.5°S) and San Antonio (33.5°S). This ...tsunami provided a unique opportunity to examine the nature of tsunami deposits in a semi-arid, siliciclastic environment where stratigraphic and sedimentological records of past tsunamis are difficult to distinguish. To improve our ability to identify such evidence, we targeted one of the few low-energy, organic-rich depositional environments in north-central Chile: Pachingo marsh in Tongoy Bay (30.3°S).
We found sedimentary evidence of the 2015 and one previous tsunami as tabular sand sheets. Both deposits are composed of poorly to moderately sorted, gray-brown, fine-to medium-grained sand and are distinct from underlying and overlying organic-rich silt. Both sand beds thin (from ∼20 cm to <1 cm) and fine landward, and show normal grading. The older sand bed is thicker and extends over 125 m further inland than the 2015 tsunami deposit. To model the relative size of the tsunamis that deposited each sand bed, we employed tsunami flow inversion. Our results show that the older sand bed was produced by higher flow speeds and depths than those in 2015. Anthropogenic evidence along with 137Cs and 210Pb dating constrains the age of the older tsunami to the last ∼110 years. We suggest that the older sand bed was deposited by the large tsunami in 1922 CE sourced to the north of our study site. This deposit represents the first geologic evidence of a pre-2015 tsunami along the semi-arid north-central Chile coast and highlights the current and continuing tsunami hazard in the region.
•First geologic record of pre-2015 tsunami inundation in north-central Chile.•Stratigraphic and grain-size analyses characterize the 2015 and one older tsunami deposit.•137Cs, 210Pb, and historical analyses show that the older tsunami was deposited in 1922 CE.•Tsunami and tidal modeling show the 1922 tsunami was higher and faster than the 2015 tsunami.
The stratigraphy within coastal river valleys in south-central Chile clarifies and extends the region’s history of large, earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis. Our site at Quidico (38.1°S, 73.3°W) ...is located in an overlap zone between ruptures of magnitude 8–9 earthquakes in 1960 and 2010, and, therefore, records tsunamis originating from subduction-zone ruptures north and south of the city of Concepción. Hand-dug pits and cores in a 3-m-thick sequence of freshwater peat in an abandoned meander (a little-examined depositional environment for tsunami deposits) and exposures along the Quidico River show five sand beds that extend as much as 1.2 km inland. Evidence for deposition of the beds by tsunamis includes tabular sand beds that are laterally extensive (>100 m), well sorted, fine upward, have sharp lower contacts, and contain diatom assemblages dominated by brackish and marine taxa. Using eyewitness accounts of tsunami inundation, 137Cs analyses, and 14C dating, we matched the upper four sand beds with historical tsunamis in 2010, 1960, 1835, and 1751. The oldest prehistoric bed dates to 1445–1490 CE and correlates with lacustrine and coastal records of similar-aged earthquakes and tsunamis in south-central Chile.
Understanding sedimentation patterns in small coastal watersheds due to landscape perturbations is critical for connecting hillslope and fluvial processes, in addition to managing aquatic habitats ...for anadromous fish and other aquatic species in the Oregon Coast Range (OCR). Changes in sedimentation patterns spanning the last 250 years are preserved in two landslide‐dammed lakes in small watersheds (< 10 km2) underlain by the Tyee Formation in the central OCR. Dendrochronology of drowned Douglas‐fir stumps in both lakes provided precise timing of the damming and formation of the lakes, with Klickitat Lake forming in winter ad 1751/52 and Wasson Lake in winter ad 1819/20. Perturbations from wildfires, logging and road development, and previously underappreciated snow events affect sedimentation rates in the lakes to different degrees, and are identified in the sediment record using cesium‐137 (137Cs), high‐resolution charcoal stratigraphy, local fire records, and aerial photography. Each lake has variable sedimentation accumulation rates (0.05–4.4 cm yr−1) and mass accumulation rates (0.02–1.42 g cm−2 yr−1). Sedimentation rates remained low from the landslide‐damming events until the mid‐19th century, when they increased following stand‐replacing wildfires. Aside from a sediment remobilization triggered by human modification of the landslide dam at Klickitat Lake around 1960, the largest peaks in mass accumulation rates in the mid‐20th century at both lakes in the early 1950s precede major road construction and logging activity in the watersheds. Subsequent sedimentation rates are lower, but variable, and possible effects of logging and road development might be exacerbated by abnormal precipitation and heavy snow events. A comparison of previous studies of landslide‐dammed lakes in larger watershed of the OCR are consistent with our findings of increased sedimentation in the mid‐20th century, as well as higher sedimentation rates in the debris‐flow dominated southern Tyee Formation than in the lower‐relief northern Tyee Formation.
Sedimentation patterns of small landslide‐dammed lakes in the Oregon Coast Range are quantified using dendrochronology of drowned trees, cesium‐137 (137Cs), and high‐resolution charcoal stratigraphy, to reveal sustained changes in sedimentation rates following 19th‐century wildfires, close‐proximity anthropogenic disturbances, and abnormal weather events.
The effect of geomorphic features and hydraulic conditions on the formation, evolution, and morphology of sediment cluster microforms in an unregulated gravel-bed stream were investigated at field ...sites on the Entiat River, which drains the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in central Washington state, USA. Sediment clusters were marked, described, and photographed before and after a series of moderate to high discharges over an 18-month period to quantify the evolution of the cluster morphologies. Individual sediment particles were tracked to calculate the range of flows and bed shear stresses that maintain and destroy clusters. Examination of geomorphic settings, channel morphology, and particle size distributions documented the conditions that favor cluster formation. The investigation tested the hypotheses that clusters in this environment delay sediment entrainment and that their morphology and evolution follow a predictable evolution similar to that found in laboratory studies.
Clusters formed on gravel bars adjacent to riffles with slopes ≥
1%, poor to moderate sorting, and mean and maximum particle size values 1.5 times greater than those associated with noncluster bars. Clusters were more stable under the bimodal sediment size distribution contributed by a tributary alluvial fan and were destroyed with and without anchor clast mobilization at sites where sediment size was more uniform. The six cluster morphologies identified in the field were similar to those in flume studies, but did not follow the same evolutionary cycle over multiple flow events. This contrast was attributed to the flow events resetting the cluster cycle, leading to a high percentage of upstream triangles. The dimensionless critical shear stress required to entrain the mean grain size ranged from 0.06 to 0.08. The hydraulic thresholds and geomorphic features that result in stable vs. mobilized cluster microforms in this setting can serve as a model for regulated rivers and restoration projects aimed at sustaining instream flows to maintain natural sediment transport conditions.
A regional synthesis of paleoflood chronologies on rivers in Arizona and southern Utah reveals that the largest floods over the last 5000 years cluster into distinct time periods that are related to ...regional and global climatic fluctuations. The flood chronologies were constructed using fine-grained slackwater deposits that accumulate in protected areas along the margins of bedrock canyons and selectively preserve evidence of the largest events. High-magnitude floods were frequent on rivers throughout the region from 5000 to 3600
14C yrs BP (dendrocalibrated age = 3800-2200 BC) and increased again after 2200 BP (400 BC), with particularly prominent peaks in magnitude and frequency around 1100-900 BP (AD 900–1100) and after 500 yrs BP (AD 1400). In contrast, the periods 3600-2200 BP (2200-400 BC) and 800-600 yrs BP (1200–1400 AD) are marked by sharp decreases in the occurrence of large floods on these rivers.
In the modern record, storms that generate large floods (≥ 10-year) in the region fall into three categories: (1) winter North Pacific frontal storms; (2) late-summer and fall storms that draw in moisture from recurved Pacific tropical cyclones; and (3) summer storms, mainly convective thunderstorms. Winter storms and tropical cyclones are associated with the most severe floods on the rivers in this study, and are the most probable causes of the paleofloods over the last 5000 years. Floods from both winter storms and tropical cyclones occur when deep mid-latitude troughs steer storm systems into the region. Composite anomaly maps of daily 700-mbar heights indicate that these floods are associated with a low-pressure anomaly off the California coast and a high-pressure anomaly over the Aleutians or Gulf of Alaska. A strong connection exists between the negative phase of the Southern Oscillation Index (often associated with El Nin˜o conditions) and the large floods associated with winter storms and tropical cyclones.
The paleoflood records confirm the existence of centennial-scale variations in the conditions conducive to the occurrence of extreme floods and flood-generating storms in this region. The episodes with an increased frequency of high-magnitude floods coincide with periods of cool, wet climate in the western U.S., whereas warm intervals, such as the Medieval Warm Period, are times of dramatic decreases in the number of large floods. A positive relationship between the paleofloods and long-term variations in the frequency of El Nin˜o events is evident over the last 1000 years. This relationship continues over at least the last 3000 years with warm coastal sea-surface temperatures indicative of El Nin˜o-like conditions.
We present a comprehensive relative sea-level (RSL) database for north, central, and south-central Chile (18.5°S – 43.6°S) using a consistent, systematic, and internationally comparable approach. ...Despite its latitudinal extent, this coastline has received little rigorous or systematic attention and details of its RSL history remain largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we re-evaluate the geological context and age of previously published sea-level indicators, providing 78 index points and 84 marine or terrestrial limiting points spanning from 11 ka to the present day. Many data points were originally collected for research in other fields and have not previously been examined for the information they provide on sea-level change. Additionally, we describe new sea-level data from four sites located between the Gulf of Arauco and Valdivia. By compiling RSL histories for 11 different regions, we summarise current knowledge of Chilean RSL. These histories indicate mid Holocene sea levels above present in all regions, but at highly contrasting elevations from ∼30 m to <5 m. We compare the spatiotemporal distribution of sea-level data points with a suite of glacial isostatic adjustment models and place first-order constraints on the influence of tectonic processes over 103–104 year timescales. While seven regions indicate uplift rates <1 m ka−1, the remaining regions may experience substantially higher rates. In addition to enabling discussion of the factors driving sea-level change, our compilation provides a resource to assist attempts to understand the distribution of archaeological, palaeoclimatic, and palaeoseismic evidence in the coastal zone and highlights directions for future sea-level research in Chile.
•Systematic, quality-controlled Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) database.•Full reassessment of published sea-level data from the Chilean coast (18.5–43.6°S).•New sea-level data from four sites.•Regional sea-level histories highlight spatial differences in Holocene RSL.•New constraints on Holocene tectonic uplift rates.
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