Global Tsunami Deposits Database

Database description

The tsunami deposits database design and implementation included five steps. The first step involved conducting a literature review and selecting documents related to tsunami deposits. The second step consisted of locating each of the selected tsunami deposits. The third step consisted of extracting thematic information from the reviewed documents, identifying the geomorphic environments in which the tsunami deposits were found, and the proxies used to identify the tsunami deposit.

The database also includes a series of environmental parameters such as climate, oceanography, biotics, and soils. Finally, we used the environmental data and merged it with the spatial distribution of tsunami deposits, aiming to visualize the influence of environmental parameters on tsunami deposits.

In this repository, there are two folders with the following files:

Folder 1 - Tsunami Deposits: This is the database for the global location of tsunami deposits, bibliographic information, and thematic data extracted (geomorphic environments and proxies). There are three subfolders inside, each with files distinguished by their format. They contain KMZ, shapefile, and table (CSV) files.

Folder 2 - Maps Raster: The 40 maps, individual JPG files, and high resolution are contained. These maps include environmental parameters and the locations of the tsunami deposits.

Abstract:

Geomorphic environments for tsunami deposits are the environmental configurations that influence the preservation and characteristics of deposits generated by tsunamis. This paper presents a global database of tsunami deposits consisting of the global location of tsunami deposits, bibliographic information, and extracted thematic data (geomorphic environments and proxies). It also contains maps that include environmental parameters and the location of tsunami deposits. The potential use of the database focuses on identifying progress and gaps in knowledge and analyzes the relationship with environmental parameters to interpret areas with high or low probabilities of tsunami deposit preservation. Files can be immediately used in GIS software and integrated into spatial databases related to tsunamis or other hazards, contributing to disaster risk management, and enhancing preparedness and response efforts by providing comprehensive historical tsunami data. Future uses include the inclusion of modern deposits, boulders, and new data from paleotsunami and historical studies. Incorporating thematic information for enhanced data, such as dating techniques and creating timelines. Correlations between geomorphic environments and proxies aid in choosing sampling sites, and identifying successful proxies allows for reducing research time and costs. Encourages inclusion of the database in an open system for information inclusion and modification, and encourages researchers to contribute published data for broader accessibility. In conclusion, the information pooled for the generation of this database first, aids in the assessment of the tsunami deposits distribution worldwide; second, it serves as a parameter to identify gaps in tsunami deposits knowledge; third, it guides the selection of study areas in tsunami deposits; and finally, it allows a meta-analysis of the information.