Characterising diagnostic proxies for identifying palaeotsunamis in a tropical climatic regime, Samoan Islands

Abstract

The September 2009 South Pacific Tsunami (2009 SPT) in the Samoa Islands resulted in local public and national calls to improve understanding of the medium- to long-term risks of tsunamis in these islands in order to further mitigate their impacts. This research addresses some of these calls through an interdisciplinary palaeotsunami investigation. Historical data beginning in 1837 indicate that the Samoan Islands have been impacted by tsunamis from all the major tsunamigenic zones within the Pacific Rim of Fire, making it an ideal location for starting to understand tsunami frequency and distribution within this region. Furthermore, the region has an historical record of extreme tropical cyclones.