Dating a Medieval Tsunami With Uranium‐Series Techniques on Caribbean Corals
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
Journal Volume
52
Journal Issue
19
ISSN
0094-8276
1944-8007
Date Issued
2025-10-08
Author(s)
Kilbourne, K. Halimeda
Weil‐Accardo, Jennifer
Feuillet, Nathalie
Deschamps, Pierre
Xu, Yuan‐yuan
Sun, Hailong
Halley, Robert B.
Atwater, Brian F.
Abstract
Uranium-series dates from coral boulders constrain the timing of a medieval tsunami from the Puerto Rico Trench. Previously reported evidence for this tsunami includes hundreds of coral boulders that came to rest hundreds of meters inland on Anegada, British Virgin Islands. New U-series dates on these coral boulders provide limiting dates for the tsunami. The narrowest limits were by dating interior bands of a coral that retains the hemispherical form of a living coral colony, and which include adjustments for the number of annual density band couplets between the dated samples and the boulder exteriors. By those limits, the tsunami dates between 1381 and 1391 CE, and likely occurred during summer or fall. The tsunami is important as the only reported sign that the eastern Puerto Rico Trench has produced a great earthquake. The dating may aid in defining the earthquake source and in communicating tsunami hazards.
Subjects
Caribbean
coral
dating
overwash
tsunami
U-series
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Type
journal article