Structure and depositional processes of a gravelly tsunami deposit in a shallow marine setting: Lower Cretaceous Miyako Group, Japan

This study reports a newly discovered gravelly tsunami deposit from the Lower Cretaceous Miyako Group, Japan. The deposit was formed in an open shallow marine setting. The event deposit erosionally overlies shoreface deposits and shows marked lateral facies change. At the basin margin, the deposit is composed mainly of amalgamated HCS sandstones with liquefaction structures, overlain by finer sediments that contain many plant fragments or micas. Conglomerates accompanying the HCS sandstones contain molluscan fossils and many coral clasts. In the basin center, the event deposit is made up mainly of conglomerates and lenticular sandstone beds, and passes upwards into alternating sandstones and siltstones. A condensed organic debris layer is intercalated within the alternating section. Conglomerates contain abundant beach gravel, and also contain beachrock, coral blocks, and boulders. Bivalve fossils are well preserved despite their occurrence in grain-supported conglomerates. The event deposit is divided into sub-layers bounded by internal scours that are wavy and intersect. Each sub-layer consists of a conglomerate grading into a sandstone layer. Imbrications just above the scours in sub-layers show seawards paleocurrents; however, imbrications just beneath the sandstone horizons in the same sub-layers feature landward paleocurrents. Respective sub-layers in the tsunami deposit were formed by substrate erosion due to backwash flow, gravel deposition, reworking by flood flow, and sand deposition during the stagnant water period. The overall upward-fining trend reflects decline of the tsunami event. Development of the gravelly deposit in the central part of the basin and lateral facies change may be attributed to hydrodynamic response of the tsunami pulse to local bathymetry and geography.