jueves, 12 de diciembre de 2013

Sumatra coastal cave records stunning tsunami history

2/4. The tsunami record from about 7,500 to 3,000 years ago is impeccable, say the scientists
A cave on the northwestern coast of Sumatra holds a remarkable record of big tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.

The limestone opening, close to Banda Aceh, retains the sandy deposits washed ashore by huge, earthquake-induced waves over thousands of years.

Scientists are using the site to help determine the frequency of catastrophes like the event of 26 December 2004.
This is being done by dating the cave's tsunami-borne sediments, which are easy to see between layers of bat droppings.

"The tsunami sands just jump right out at you because they're separated by guano layers. There's no confusing the stratigraphy (layering)," explains Dr Jessica Pilarczyk.

"It makes for interesting field work; I'm not going to lie to you. The bats get very excited when people are disrupting their space. But from a geologist's point of view, this cave has the most amazing stratigraphy," she told BBC News.

Dr Pilarczyk was speaking here in San Francisco at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, the world's largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. [...] bbc.co.uk


Actualización. La cueva de Sumatra que revela los secretos de los tsunamis
Una cueva en la costa noroccidental de la isla de Sumatra, en Indonesia, alberga un notable registro de los mayores tsunamis del Océano Índico.

La caverna de piedra caliza, ubicada cerca de la ciudad de Banda Aceh, retiene los depósitos arenosos empujados hacia la costa por gigantescas olas producidas por terremotos durante miles de años...

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salaman.es dijo...

Actualización. La cueva de Sumatra que revela los secretos de los tsunamis