Anthropogenic pollutants and biomarkers for the identification of 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami deposits (Japan)

Marine Geology
By: , and 

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Abstract

Organic geochemistry is commonly used in environmental studies. In tsunami research, however, its applications are in their infancy and it is still rarely used. We present results for two types of organic geochemical markers, biomarkers and anthropogenic markers, present in deposits left by 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami on the Sendai Plain, Japan. As the tsunami inundated the coastal lowland up to 4.85 km inland, sediments from various sources were eroded, transported and deposited. This led to the distribution of biomarkers from different sources across the Sendai Plain creating a unique geochemical signature in the tsunami deposits. The tsunami also caused destruction along the Sendai coastline, leading to the release of large quantities of environmental pollutants (e.g., fossil fuels, tarmac, pesticides, plastics, etc.) that were distributed across the inundated area. These anthropogenic markers, represented by three main compound groups (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and halogenated compounds), were preserved in tsunami deposits (at least until 2013, prior to land clearing). Their concentrations differed significantly from the pre- and post-tsunami background contamination levels. Organic proxy concentrations can differ for sand and mud deposits due to various factors (e.g., preservation, dilution, microbial alteration). However, it can be concluded that anthropogenic markers and biomarkers have the potential to be a valuable proxy for future studies of recent tsunami deposits because of their high source specificity and relatively good preservation potential providing information about sediment sources and transport pathways (e.g., marine source, evidence of backwash).

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Anthropogenic pollutants and biomarkers for the identification of 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami deposits (Japan)
Series title Marine Geology
DOI 10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106117
Volume 422
Year Published 2020
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description 106117, 15 p.
Country Japan
Other Geospatial Sendai
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