Hawaiian legends of coastal devastation and paleotsunami reconstruction, Nu'u, Kaupō, Maui, Hawai'i

• Published in: Marine geology 2024-11, Vol.477, p.107408, Article 107408
• Main Authors: Fisher, Scott, Goff, James, Cundy, Andrew, Sear, David, Terry, James, LeVeque, Randall J., Adams, Loyce M., Sahy, Diana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Minimum flow velocities; Oral traditions; Submarine landslides; Tsunami modeling; Tsunamis; Wedge clasts
• ISSN: 0025-3227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2024.107408

In Hawaiʻi, tsunamis are often described in orally transmitted legends (moʻolelo). This study examines sedimentary evidence of a possible local submarine landslide-generated tsunami, described in a legend from the south east coast of Maui which originated between the 15th Century CE and the first arrival of Europeans in 1778 CE. Physical evidence for a tsunami, found at the Nu'u Refuge, Maui, is primarily comprised of an extensive coral clast deposit (found 8.5 m above msl and 251 m inland from the shoreline) together with waterworn cobbles which form fracture-embedded wedge clasts in a local basalt escarpment (at up to 8 m above msl). U/Th dating of the coral clasts gives a maximum tsunami deposit age of 1671 CE for the event that may have inspired the local moʻolelo. This depositional sequence is used to characterize the nature of the assumed tsunami in terms of inundation distance, maximum wave runup and minimum flow velocities. A numerical model developed using GeoClaw matches well with the physical evidence. The data and modeling presented here suggest that locally-generated tsunamis from submarine landslides warrant further research attention as sources of destructive high energy marine inundation events. •Tsunami legends often include details on the intensity and severity of tsunamis.•A pre-historic tsunami on Maui left discernible signatures in the field.•These signatures provide important details on the intensity of this event.•These include minimum flow velocity, inland inundation and run-up heights.•Tsunami modeling provides a context to discern coastal vulnerability to tsunamis.