The origins of marine and non-marine boulder deposits: a brief review

Abstract

We identify 14 mechanisms, marine and non-marine, one man made, that result and could result in the formation of boulder deposits after reviewing issues associated with clast shape, size and classification. Four of these mechanisms: storm deposits; waterspouts; cliff collapse; and catastrophic flooding below sea level, may produce deposits stretching for significant distances along shorelines which could be confused with historical or prehistoric tsunami deposits. However, recent debate has more specifically focused on parameters that can be employed in the distinction between coarse-grained tsunami and storm deposits, both of which can occur in the same location. We argue that features such as size, areal distribution and clast shape are not uniquely characteristic of either deposit. Rather, a wide variety of parameters, which reflect the period and the frequency of the transporting waves, need to be taken into account. Such analyses may be aided by profiles which evaluate the variation in modeled flow velocities with distance from the shoreline. Finally, we compare and contrast characteristics of coarse grained tsunami deposits with those of northeast Atlantic storm deposits that may aid in the identification of the transporting wave.