Magnitudes and source areas of large prehistoric northern Alpine earthquakes revealed by slope failures in lakes

Strasser, Michael; Anselmetti, Flavio S.; Fäh, Donat; Giardini, Domenico; Schnellmann, Michael

doi:10.1130/g22784a.1

Cited by 152 publications

(137 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The age model for the lower part of the core was constrained using two radiocarbon dates published in Thevenon and Anselmetti (2007), and two new radiocarbon dates (ETH-37378 and ETH-37379) also carried out on leaves remains (Table 1). The radiocarbon date obtained at 157 cm downcore (ca 208 BC) confirmed that the turbidite observed at 163e166 cm depth is related to the large pre-historic earthquake that occurred in Central Switzerland ca 2200 years ago (Strasser et al, 2006) (Fig. 2A).…”

Section: Chronostratigraphymentioning

confidence: 48%

(Pre-) historic changes in natural and anthropogenic heavy metals deposition inferred from two contrasting Swiss Alpine lakes

Thevenon

Guédron

Chiaradia

et al. 2011

Quaternary Science Reviews

112

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a b s t r a c tContinuous high-resolution sedimentary record of heavy metals (chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and mercury (Hg)), from lakes Lucerne and Meidsee (Switzerland), provides pollutant deposition history from two contrasting Alpine environments over the last millennia. The distribution of conservative elements (thorium (Th), scandium (Sc) and titanium (Ti)) shows that in absence of human disturbances, the trace element input is primarily controlled by weathering processes (i.e., runoff and erosion). Nonetheless, the enrichment factor (EF) of Pb and Hg (that are measured by independent methods), and the Pb isotopic composition of sediments from the remote lake Meidsee (which are proportionally more enriched in anthropogenic heavy metals), likely detect early mining activities during the Bronze Age. Meanwhile, the deposition of trace elements remains close to the range of natural variations until the strong impact of Roman activities on atmospheric metal emissions. Both sites display simultaneous increases in anthropogenic trace metal deposition during the Greek and Roman Empires (ca 300 BC to AD 400), the Late Middle Ages (ca AD 1400), and the Early Modern Europe (after ca AD 1600). However, the greatest increases in anthropogenic metal pollution are evidenced after the industrial revolution of ca AD 1850, at low and high altitudes. During the twentieth century, industrial releases multiplied by ca 10 times heavy metal fluxes to hydrological systems located on both sides of the Alps. During the last decades, the recent growing contribution of low radiogenic Pb further highlights the contribution of industrial sources with respect to wood and coal burning emissions.

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Section: Chronostratigraphymentioning

confidence: 48%

(Pre-) historic changes in natural and anthropogenic heavy metals deposition inferred from two contrasting Swiss Alpine lakes

Thevenon

Guédron

Chiaradia

et al. 2011

Quaternary Science Reviews

112

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Advanced geotechnical characterization of the initial deposits, namely the checking of criteria for slope failure (Stegmann et al, 2007;Strasser et al, 2006), might help in defining the energy associated to the local seismic events.…”

Section: Relationship Between "Homogenites" and Co-seismic Faults Offmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of deep subaqueous co-seismic scarps through specific coeval sedimentation in Lesser Antilles: implication for seismic hazard

Beck

Reyss

Leclerc

et al. 2012

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. During the GWADASEIS cruise (Lesser Antilles volcanic arc, February-March 2009) a very high resolution (VHR) seismic-reflection survey was performed in order to constrain Late Quaternary to Present faulting. The profiles we obtained evidence frequent "ponding" of reworked sediments in the deepest areas, similar to the deposition of Mediterranean "homogenites". These bodies are acoustically transparent (few ms t.w.t. thick) and are often deposited on the hanging walls of dominantly normal faults, at the base of scarps. Their thickness appears sufficient to compensate (i.e. bury) co-seismic scarps between successive earthquakes, resulting in a flat and horizontal sea floor through time. In a selected area (offshore Montserrat and Nevis islands), piston coring (4 to 7 m long) was dedicated to a sedimentological analysis of the most recent of these particular layers. It corresponds to non-stratified homogenous calcareous silty sand (reworked calcareous plankton and minor volcanoclastics). This layer can be up to 2 m thick, and overlies finegrained hemipelagites. The upper centimeters of the latter represent the normal RedOx water/sediment interface. 210 Pb and 137 Cs activities lack in the massive sands, while a normal profile of unsupported 210 Pb decrease is observed in the hemipelagite below, together with a 137 Cs peak corresponding to the Atmospheric Nuclear Experiments (1962). The RedOx level was thus capped by a recent instantaneous major sedimentary event considered as post-1970 AD; candidate seismic events to explain this sedimentary deposits are either the 16 March 1985 earthquake or the 8 October 1974 one (M w = 6.3 and M w = 7.4, respectively). This leads to consider that the syntectonic sedimentation in this area is not continuous but results from accumulation of thick homogenites deposited after the earthquakes (as observed in the following weeks after Haiti January 2010 event, McHugh et al., 2011). The existence of such deposits suggests that, in the area of study, vertical throw likely results from cumulated effects of separated earthquakes rather than from aseismic creep. Examination of VHR profiles shows that all major co-seismic offsets are recorded in the fault growth sequence and that co-seismic offsets can be precisely estimated. By using a sedimentation rate deduced from 210 Pb decrease curve (0.5 mm yr −1 ) and taking into account minor reworking events detected in cores, we show that the Redonda system may have been responsible for five > M 6 events during the last 34 000 yr.The approach presented in this work differs from fault activity analyses using displaced sets of isochronous surfaces and postulating co-seismic offsets. Combining VHR seismic imagery and coring we can decipher co-seismic vs. slow continuous displacement, and thus actually estimate the amplitude and the time distribution of major co-seismic offsets.

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“…For the subaqueous records, two major groups of effects can be detected and analyzed: (i) in situ post-depositional disturbances (e.g., Sims, 1975;Marco and Agnon, 1995;Ken-Tor et al, 2001;Rodriguez-Pascua et al, 2002, and (ii) gravity-driven reworking and resettling of large masses of unconsolidated sediments (e.g., Adams, 1990;Strasser et al, 2006). Two major questions arise for both groups: (1) how to ensure the earthquake-triggering, (2) how to identify the responsible active structure(s).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of successive coseismic vertical offsets using coeval sedimentary events – application to the southwestern limit of the Sea of Marmara's Central Basin (North Anatolian Fault)

Beck

Campos

Eriş

et al. 2015

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. In the deep part of the Sea of Marmara (Turkey), the sedimentation developing upon the North Anatolian Fault is strongly influenced by the associated seismic activity, through gravity reworking (fluidized landslides) and tsunamis. Specific layers (homogenites + turbidites, HmTu), representing individual sedimentary events, have been characterized along three giant piston cores retrieved from the Çinarcik and Central (or Orta) basins. Pre-Holocene, nonmarine sediments, were analyzed, representing the last 12-17 kyr BP (before present). For a 2 kyr long interval, 11 events could be precisely correlated on both sides of the Central Basin's southwestern scarp. For each of them, based on the specific depositional process, the thickness difference between the two sites was considered as a direct estimation of the vertical component of a coeval coseismic offset. The homogenite (upper) component accounts for the major part of the thickness difference (ranging from 36 to 144 cm). These offsets were considered as likely representing dominantly vertical throws, along the transtensional southwestern boundary of the inner, pull-apart Central Basin. In terms of natural hazards, further investigations on this local behavior should rather be directed to tsunami genesis.

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Magnitudes and source areas of large prehistoric northern Alpine earthquakes revealed by slope failures in lakes

Cited by 152 publications

References 18 publications

(Pre-) historic changes in natural and anthropogenic heavy metals deposition inferred from two contrasting Swiss Alpine lakes

(Pre-) historic changes in natural and anthropogenic heavy metals deposition inferred from two contrasting Swiss Alpine lakes

Identification of deep subaqueous co-seismic scarps through specific coeval sedimentation in Lesser Antilles: implication for seismic hazard

Estimation of successive coseismic vertical offsets using coeval sedimentary events – application to the southwestern limit of the Sea of Marmara's Central Basin (North Anatolian Fault)

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