A giant landslide on the southern flank of Tahiti Island, French Polynesia

Details A giant landslide on the southern flank of Tahiti Island, French Polynesia A giant landslide on the southern flank of Tahiti Island, French Polynesia

Jun 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001georl..28.2253c&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 28, Issue 11, p. 2253-2256

Physics

Geophysics

8

Marine Geology And Geophysics: Marine Sediments-Processes And Transport, Marine Geology And Geophysics: Seafloor Morphology And Bottom Photography, Volcanology: General Or Miscellaneous, Information Related To Geographic Region: Pacific Ocean

Scientific paper

We present evidence for an ancient and voluminous subaerial landslide of the southern flank of Tahiti, Society Islands. During a marine geophysical survey in 1996, submarine mass wasting deposits were mapped as far as 60 km from the southern shore of the island. Acoustic imagery reveals a surface of 2950 km2 of debris avalanche and hummocky terrain. Based on bathymetric data, the volume of the debris is estimated to be 1150 km3. In comparison with Hawaiian and other oceanic island landslides, it can be classified as a giant, rapid and cataclysmic event. Tahiti morphology and the distribution of volcanic ages over the island strongly suggest that the slope failure initiated near the top of the southern island flank, between 650 and 850 ka. The landslide scar was subsequently filled by eruptions. The estimated volume of the subaerial removed material exhibits a large discrepancy with the volume of the submarine deposits that can be explained by recurrent slide events.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A giant landslide on the southern flank of Tahiti Island, French Polynesia does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with A giant landslide on the southern flank of Tahiti Island, French Polynesia, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A giant landslide on the southern flank of Tahiti Island, French Polynesia will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1132419