Scientists have uncovered a fascinating link between ancient amber deposits and tsunamis that swept across northern Japan over 100 million years ago.
This groundbreaking research, published in Scientific Reports, suggests that massive waves carried amber, the fossilized resin of ancient trees, from forests to the deep sea.
These findings provide one of the oldest known records of tsunami activity, dating back to the early Cretaceous period, around 116 to 114 million years ago.
The amber was discovered in large quantities on Hokkaido Island, Japan, embedded in deep-sea sediment at Shimonakagawa Quarry.
Typically, amber is found on land or in shallow marine environments, but this unusual find in ancient ocean deposits raised questions about how it got there.
The research team, led by Aya Kubota, believes that the amber was swept from coastal forests into the ocean by powerful tsunami waves.
Tracing evidence of ancient tsunamis is incredibly challenging.
These waves dramatically reshape coastlines, and the materials they leave behind are often scattered or eroded over time. Unlike typical tsunami evidence, which can be erased or masked by other geological events, amber is incredibly resilient.
When tree resin hardens and fossilizes, it can withstand the harsh conditions of the ocean floor for millions of years. This makes it a perfect candidate for studying ancient geological events.
The amber found in Hokkaido was preserved in silica-rich deposits dating back about 115 million years, when the region was part of the deep sea.
By using fluorescence imaging, the researchers observed unique “flame structures” within the amber samples.
These deformations occur when amber is still soft and pliable during its journey, indicating it was rapidly transported from the land to the ocean before hardening. The researchers propose that these flame-like marks were created by the intense pressure and motion of tsunami waves.
After being carried out to sea, the amber likely sank to the ocean floor, where it was quickly buried by layers of silt and preserved for millions of years. This remarkable preservation allows scientists today to analyze the amber and piece together the powerful forces that once swept across ancient Japan.
Kubota and her team suggest that studying other land-based materials found in deep-sea sediments could reveal even more about the destructive power of ancient tsunamis. These findings open the door to understanding how major natural disasters have shaped our planet over vast stretches of time.
By examining these ancient clues, scientists can gain deeper insights into the history of our planet’s dynamic and sometimes violent nature.
Source: KSR.
