Geomorphic and Sedimentologic Evidence of Extreme Wave Events Recorded by Beachrocks: A Case Study from the Island of St. Bartholomew (Lesser Antilles)

Abstract

Abstract Caron, V., 2012. Geomorphic and sedimentologic evidence of extreme wave events recorded by beachrocks: a case study from the Island of St. Bartholomew (Lesser Antilles). In spite of their preferential location inside tropical belts where extreme wave events occur, and in spite of their potential for rapidly lithifying coastal sediments and by doing so promoting their preservation, beachrocks have so far been poorly investigated for the record of tsunamis or storms. This contribution focuses on beachrock occurrences on the island of St. Bartholomew (French West Indies), which is located in a region at risk from such natural hazards. Geomorphic and sedimentologic criteria were used to characterize beachrocks from shores frequently exposed to extreme wave events. Besides known effects of waves on beachrocks, including exhumation and landward transport of broken slabs, this article reports less well-documented perturbations such as the immersion of beachrock layers and cementation of event deposits. ...