Microfossils, such as diatoms, incorporated into coastal stratigraphy provide some of the most detailed reconstructions of the history of earthquakes and tsunamis. The application of diatoms to earthquake and tsunami studies is the bread and butter of our lab group. Our group has reviewed the broader application of microfossils to earthquake, tsunami, and storm studies, the more specific application of diatoms to such studies, and an even deeper dive into the application of diatoms to tsunami studies.
Diatoms are photosynthetic, unicellular algae that inhabit freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. Diatoms are a valuable tool in reconstructing paleoenvironmental changes, such as those that occur on subduction zone coastlines during earthquakes and/or tsunami inundation, because of their sensitivity to environmental factors including salinity, tidal exposure, substrate, vegetation, pH, nutrient supply, and temperature found in specific coastal wetland environments. Over time, diatoms become incorporated in coastal sediments, resulting in buried assemblages that represent the environmental changes that have occurred due to earthquakes and tsunamis over thousands of year timescales.
Ongoing work includes developing taxonomic and photographic databases to aid in the identification of diatoms found in the coastal environments along the Cascadia subduction zone.
Diatoms are photosynthetic, unicellular algae that inhabit freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. Diatoms are a valuable tool in reconstructing paleoenvironmental changes, such as those that occur on subduction zone coastlines during earthquakes and/or tsunami inundation, because of their sensitivity to environmental factors including salinity, tidal exposure, substrate, vegetation, pH, nutrient supply, and temperature found in specific coastal wetland environments. Over time, diatoms become incorporated in coastal sediments, resulting in buried assemblages that represent the environmental changes that have occurred due to earthquakes and tsunamis over thousands of year timescales.
Ongoing work includes developing taxonomic and photographic databases to aid in the identification of diatoms found in the coastal environments along the Cascadia subduction zone.
Microfossil Publications
Dura, T., and Hemphill-Haley, 2020. Diatoms in tsunami deposits, in: Engel, M. (Ed.), Geological Records of Tsunamis and Other Extreme Waves. Elsevier Publishing, pp. 291-322, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815686-5.00014-6
Dura, T., Hemphill-Haley, E., Sawai, Y., and Horton, B.P., 2016a. The application of diatom ecology and biostratigraphy to earthquake and tsunami studies. Earth Science Reviews, 152, 181-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.11.017
Pilarczyk, J.E., Dura, T., Horton, B.P., Engelhart, S.E., Kemp, A.C., Sawai, Y., 2014. Microfossils from coastal environments as indicators of paleo-earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 413, 144-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.06.033
Dura, T., Hemphill-Haley, E., Sawai, Y., and Horton, B.P., 2016a. The application of diatom ecology and biostratigraphy to earthquake and tsunami studies. Earth Science Reviews, 152, 181-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.11.017
Pilarczyk, J.E., Dura, T., Horton, B.P., Engelhart, S.E., Kemp, A.C., Sawai, Y., 2014. Microfossils from coastal environments as indicators of paleo-earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 413, 144-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.06.033