Discovery of a tsunami deposit from the Bronze Age Santorini eruption at Malia (Crete): impact, chronology, extension

Abstract

A geomorphological survey immediately west of the Minoan town of Malia (Crete) shows that a tsunami resulting from the Bronze Age Santorini eruption reached the outskirts of the Palatial center. Sediment cores testify a unique erosional event during the Late Minoan period, followed locally by a high energy sand unit comprising marine fauna. This confirms that a tsunami impacted northern Crete and caused an inundation up to 400 m inland at Malia. We obtained a radiocarbon range of 1744–1544 BCE for the secure pre-tsunami context and an interval 1509–1430 BCE for the post-event layer. Examination of tsunami deposits was used to constrain run-up not exceeding 8 m asl. The results open the field for new research on the Bronze Age Santorini tsunami regarding both impact and consequences for the Minoan civilization.

Volcanic ash, victims, and tsunami debris from the Late Bronze Age Thera eruption discovered at Çeşme-Bağlararası (Turkey)

“…Çeşme-Bağlararası is only one of many coastal settlements impacted by the eruption and related earthquakes, tsunamis, ashfall, and fires and will provide a type site reference for identifying others. Despite this presumed regional impact, tsunami evidence has only been reported for a handful of sites; namely Malia ( 50 ), Letoon ( 51 ), Palaikastros ( 52 ), Gouves, Didim, and Fethiye ( 53 ) ( Fig. 1 ).…”

“… Map of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas, highlighting locations with evidence related to the LBA eruption of Thera (“Bo”) ( 11 – 15 , 50 , 57 – 59 ). The Inset map shows ash thickness contours ( 57 ).…”

A Minoan and a Neolithic tsunami recorded in coastal sediments of Ios Island, Aegean Sea, Greece

“…Based on sedimentological and archeological evidence, Şahoğlu et al (2021) identified multiple tsunami events, including a first (and deadly) tsunami preceding the onset of ash fall.It is difficult to infer the maximum altitude (runup) reached by the waves on the coasts of Ios Island, but the large thickness (~80 cm) of the tsunami(s) deposit at a present-day altitude of 2 m suggest that the tsunami inundated a large part of the Manganari coastal plain, but there is no preserved deposit on the slopes around. This runup of 2 m represents a minimum estimate, and it cannot be concluded that tsunami waves were lower to the North of Santorini (Cycladic Islands and western Turkey) compared to the South (Crete and southern Turkey), where wave height probably exceeded 5 m (Minoura et al, 2000;Bruins et al, 2008;Lespez et al, 2021)…”

“…As an example, Paris et al (2014) studied tsunami deposits to reconstruct the scenario of the tsunamis generated during the 1883 eruption of Krakatau. The generation of tsunami during the ~1600 BCE Minoan eruption of Santorini volcano was also approached based on both geological and archaeological studies (Marinatos, 1939;Doumas, 1983;Cita et al, 1984;Cita & Aloisi, 2000;McCoy & Heiken, 2000;Minoura et al, 2000;Dominey-Howes, 2004;Bruins et al, 2008;Goodman-Tchernov et al, 2009;Nomikou et al, 2016a;Aydar et al, 2021;Lespez et al, 2021;Şahoğlu et al, 2021). Studies on tsunami deposits on the northern coast of Crete and south-western coast of Turkey concluded that wave heights were exceeding 5 m and inundation runup was in the order of 10 m (Minoura et al, 2000;Bruins et al, 2008;Lespez et al, 2021), depending on the local topography.…”

“…The generation of tsunami during the ~1600 BCE Minoan eruption of Santorini volcano was also approached based on both geological and archaeological studies (Marinatos, 1939;Doumas, 1983;Cita et al, 1984;Cita & Aloisi, 2000;McCoy & Heiken, 2000;Minoura et al, 2000;Dominey-Howes, 2004;Bruins et al, 2008;Goodman-Tchernov et al, 2009;Nomikou et al, 2016a;Aydar et al, 2021;Lespez et al, 2021;Şahoğlu et al, 2021). Studies on tsunami deposits on the northern coast of Crete and south-western coast of Turkey concluded that wave heights were exceeding 5 m and inundation runup was in the order of 10 m (Minoura et al, 2000;Bruins et al, 2008;Lespez et al, 2021), depending on the local topography. The tsunami is also recorded in the deep-sea sediments of the Ionian Basin as a megaturbidite (Kastens and Cita, 1981;Cita & Aloisi, 2000), and on the continental shelf off Caesarea Maritima, Israel (Goodman-Tchernov et al, 2009).…”