Tsunami Deposits and Their Morphological Effects: A Regional Scale Approach

Abstract

Tsunami are high energy events which have heavy morphological impacts on the shore lines. A review of the literature shows that these impacts are very difficult to differentiate from large storms impacts in most of the cases. This paper begins with a description of tsunami impacts, at a local scale, in terms of erosion and of accumulation. It studies cases where tsunami accelerate “normal” behaviour of the coast or, on the other hand go against expected normal behaviour. In order to better understand the relative roles of tsunamis and storms, the local forms are replaced within a regional scale/context and some important regions (Mediterranean Sea, New Zealand, the Antilles) are taken as examples of the interrelation between storm-forced evolution and tsunami – controlled behaviour.