Ancient Amber Unveils Early Cretaceous Tsunami Evidence

A series of studies have revealed that ancient amber deposits in deep-sea sediments on Hokkaido Island, Japan, are among the oldest known geological records of a tsunami, dating to between 116 and 114 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous period. The amber, originally tree resin from land, was rapidly carried to the ocean and buried on the seafloor, likely by one or more massive tsunamis. Unique 'flame structures' in the amber suggest it was still soft when covered suddenly by silt, supporting the hypothesis of rapid tsunami backwash. This evidence stands out because tsunami traces are often hard to distinguish from those of storms and coastal records are typically eroded. The findings demonstrate that land-derived materials like amber in deep-sea sediments can act as valuable archives for reconstructing ancient catastrophic events. The research opens new avenues for understanding Earth's geological and tsunami history.