The geological survey of the Upper Holocene deposit on Penghu Islands, Chiayi, and Tainan was completed and identified 16 coastal outcrops with marine event layers of typhoon surges and tsunamis in origins. The facies columns and radiocarbon dating of the outcrops and event layers were completed to understand the outcrop and event deposits’ formations. A tsunami event likely took place between the late 17th and late 18th centuries and resulted in the deposit layers on Hujing Island and in three outcrops on SE Magong Island. Another tsunami dated between the 15th and 16th centuries and resulted in the deposit layers in two outcrops on NE Magong and an outcrop on SE Magong. A new tsunami layer was identified in an outcrop in NW Magong and two outcrops in SE Magong and dated between the 12th and 13th centuries. Two typhoon surge events and their deposits were identified in two outcrops in NW Magong and likely took place after 1800.
Facies and Stratigraphy of Upper Holocene Marine Event Deposit in Penghu, Chiayi, and Tainan Coasts
Sustainable Development Goals
Abstract/Objectives
Typhoons and tsunami lash Taiwan frequently. It has been found challenging to evaluate coastal inundations and recurrence intervals of these events due to the lack of sufficient historical records, given that numerous systems of observation, forecast, mitigation, and prediction simulation have been established. Upper Holocene facies and stratigraphy of marine facies event deposit is one of the best solutions. Long-term geological records dating back to thousands of years ago are available for evaluating the event recurrence intervals. Facies characteristics, geochemistry, geophysics, and their variations of the event deposit reflect sedimentary erosion, transportation, and deposition during coastal marine flooding and are useful in reconstructing the inundation area, run-up, wave height, and post-event geomorphological and ecological change. The event deposit’s sedimentology and stratigraphy further provide important constraints on backward hydraulic simulation, geomorphological and ecological modeling, mitigation, and damage prevention and recovery. Origins of the ancient marine events may also be unveiled, such as the short-wavelength typhoon surge and the long-wavelength tsunami, and so the tsunami origins of an earthquake, volcanic eruption, and mass movement. Therefore, to establish the Upper Holocene marine event stratigraphy and sedimentology of Taiwan, the coastal areas spanning the southern Taiwan Strait are first selected in this project because of facing the mega-wave-prone Manila Subduction Zone and South China Sea. In three years, the project aims to accomplish field investigations of outcrop exposure and shallow excavation on the major islands of Penghu and along the Chiayi-Tainan coastlines and to comprehensively outline the regional history and future development of mega wave events in the studied area.
Results/Contributions
Keywords
Typhoon surge and tsunamimarine mega wave event deposit facies sedimentology and stratigraphyUpper HolocenePenghu-Chiayi-Tainan
References
Contact Information
游能悌
ntyu@mx.nthu.edu.tw