Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments

Abstract The Storegga tsunami, dated to 8150 years ago, disturbed sea floor sediments near its source. Here, we present evidence that sediments as far north as the Kveitehola Trough (75° N) in the NW Barents Sea were affected by the Storegga tsunami. We identified an 18-cm-thick sandy mud unit, char...

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Main Authors: Dhanushka Devendra, Magdalena Łącka, Natalia Szymańska, Hasitha Nethupul, Joanna Pawłowska, Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła, Magdalena Krajewska, Prasadi De Silva, Stein Bondevik, Steven J. Gibbons, Marek Zajączkowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10811-7
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author Dhanushka Devendra
Magdalena Łącka
Natalia Szymańska
Hasitha Nethupul
Joanna Pawłowska
Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła
Magdalena Krajewska
Prasadi De Silva
Stein Bondevik
Steven J. Gibbons
Marek Zajączkowski
author_facet Dhanushka Devendra
Magdalena Łącka
Natalia Szymańska
Hasitha Nethupul
Joanna Pawłowska
Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła
Magdalena Krajewska
Prasadi De Silva
Stein Bondevik
Steven J. Gibbons
Marek Zajączkowski
author_sort Dhanushka Devendra
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Storegga tsunami, dated to 8150 years ago, disturbed sea floor sediments near its source. Here, we present evidence that sediments as far north as the Kveitehola Trough (75° N) in the NW Barents Sea were affected by the Storegga tsunami. We identified an 18-cm-thick sandy mud unit, characterized by coarser grains at its lower boundary, to be deposited between 8100 and 8600 years BP. The unit contained significantly older foraminiferal tests, radiocarbon dated to between 12,000 and 27,000 years BP, that have been interpreted to be redeposited. In addition, the unit shows elevated signals of terrestrial plant sequences (sedaDNA) and terrestrial steroids. Simulation of the Storegga tsunami reveals strong currents in the shallower parts of the Barents Sea that were capable of moving sediments on the sea floor. We suggest that the tsunami backwash from the inundation of northernmost Norway or Bjørnøya could have carried terrestrial signals to the sediment core location.
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spelling doaj-art-1e9b5fa926224de8a8bfa40cbc39f6622025-08-20T03:05:27ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-10811-7Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sedimentsDhanushka Devendra0Magdalena Łącka1Natalia Szymańska2Hasitha Nethupul3Joanna Pawłowska4Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła5Magdalena Krajewska6Prasadi De Silva7Stein Bondevik8Steven J. Gibbons9Marek Zajączkowski10Department of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied SciencesNorwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI),Department of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of SciencesAbstract The Storegga tsunami, dated to 8150 years ago, disturbed sea floor sediments near its source. Here, we present evidence that sediments as far north as the Kveitehola Trough (75° N) in the NW Barents Sea were affected by the Storegga tsunami. We identified an 18-cm-thick sandy mud unit, characterized by coarser grains at its lower boundary, to be deposited between 8100 and 8600 years BP. The unit contained significantly older foraminiferal tests, radiocarbon dated to between 12,000 and 27,000 years BP, that have been interpreted to be redeposited. In addition, the unit shows elevated signals of terrestrial plant sequences (sedaDNA) and terrestrial steroids. Simulation of the Storegga tsunami reveals strong currents in the shallower parts of the Barents Sea that were capable of moving sediments on the sea floor. We suggest that the tsunami backwash from the inundation of northernmost Norway or Bjørnøya could have carried terrestrial signals to the sediment core location.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10811-7
spellingShingle Dhanushka Devendra
Magdalena Łącka
Natalia Szymańska
Hasitha Nethupul
Joanna Pawłowska
Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła
Magdalena Krajewska
Prasadi De Silva
Stein Bondevik
Steven J. Gibbons
Marek Zajączkowski
Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments
Scientific Reports
title Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments
title_full Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments
title_fullStr Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments
title_full_unstemmed Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments
title_short Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments
title_sort expanding the footprint of the storegga tsunami through new evidence from arctic marine sediments
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10811-7
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