ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Diatom Assemblages in 26 December 2004
Tsunami Deposits from Coastal Zone of Thailand
as Sediment Provenance Indicators
M. Kokociński1,2, W. Szczuciński3, A. Zgrundo4, A. Ibragimow5
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1Collegium Polonicum, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kościuszki 1, 69-100 Słubice, Poland
2Institute of Environmental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, Poland
3Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Maków Polnych 16, 61-606 Poznań, Poland
4Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Bażyńskiego 1a, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
5Jeziory Ecological Station, Adam Mickiewicz University, Jeziory, P.O. Box 40, 62-050 Mosina, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2009;18(1):93-101
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Tsunami deposits are often characterized by specific diatom assemblages, which may indicate sediment
provenance and help identify paleotsunami deposits. In the present study diatom assemblages were studied in
tsunami deposits left by the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, as well as in beach sediments, inner shelf marine sediments
and freshwater ponds and streams. The assemblages in tsunami deposits had chaotic structure and consisted
of species found in all the studied habitats, suggesting erosion of terrestrial and marine sediments by
tsunami. The diatom frustules in tsunami deposits were generally rare and often damaged due to excessive
wave force. The most common identified species were Amphora turgida Gregory, Cocconeis scutellum
Ehrenberg, Diplomenora cocconeiformis (Schmidt) Blazé, Eunotogramma marinum (W. Smith) Peragallo
(typical for benthos of marine and brackish environments), and taxa common in freshwaters, including
Cyclotella ocellata Pantocsek, Cocconeis placentula Ehrenberg and Encyonema silesiacum (Bleish) D.G.
Mann.