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Medieval tsunami left coral clues in the caribbean with a warning
A magnitude 8.0+ earthquake caused a tsunami that moved large coral boulders inland on Anegada, highlighting Caribbean tsunami risks beyond recorded history.
- Over 630 years ago, a University of Washington-led study dated a medieval Caribbean tsunami using coral skeletons, publishing the late 14th-century timing in Geophysical Research Letters.
- With written records covering only five centuries, researchers turned to geology to find older evidence, as written records show no Puerto Rico Trench tsunami and surveys began after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
- Dating teams measured uranium and thorium in internal coral skeleton sections to avoid contamination and added annual growth-band counts, documenting coral boulders stranded hundreds of meters inland on Anegada visible in drone photography.
- These coral records revise the northeastern Caribbean's tsunami history and feed hazard reassessments, with researchers saying the findings will support ongoing efforts to prepare for future Caribbean tsunamis.
- Computer models link the flooding to a large earthquake in the Puerto Rico Trench, estimating a magnitude 8.0 quake that sent a tsunami toward Anegada, which is especially vulnerable due to its steep seafloor slope.
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19 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 33%
C 50%
R 17%
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