Sedimentary features of Onagawa Bay, northeastern Japan after the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake: sediment mixing by recolonized benthic animals decreases the preservation potential of tsunami deposits

Abstract

The huge tsunami waves induced by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake severely affected shallow marine ecosystems along the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. This study examined core samples using X-ray radiography, computed tomography scanning, and grain size analysis to identify temporal changes in the physical and biogenic sedimentary structures of seafloor deposits in Onagawa Bay, northeastern Japan, following the 2011 tsunami. Cores were sampled during research cruises in October 2012, December 2013, and April 2014. The seafloor sediments consisted of two lithological layers. The upper section (between the surface and a depth of 8 cm) was composed of muddy sediments deposited by normal depositional processes and/or the weakening tsunami currents. In contrast, the lower part of the cores (below a depth of 8 cm) consisted of tsunami-induced deposits, i.e., horizontally laminated sandy sediments generated by the strong currents associated with the 2011 tsunami. Sampling of these sediments in 2012 and 2013 showed burrows of up to 10 mm in diameter, but restricted to the upper mud layer. In contrast, in 2014, 20–40-mm-diameter mud-filled burrows were seen in both the upper mud and lower sand layers, indicating that recolonization of the seafloor sediment by large and deep-burrowing animals began within 3 years of the 2011 tsunami. The intense sediment mixing by large burrowing animals will homogenize the seafloor sediment and decrease the preservation potential of the tsunami deposits in this bay.