Futuna and Alofi Islands (NASA Landsat)

Research project - Evidence of prehistoric tsunamis on the islands of Futuna and Alofi : Origin, timing and associated hazard and risk

Project period

January 2009 to December 2011

Project funding

Fonds de Cooperation Economique, Sociale et Culturelle pour le Pacifique to NIWA and IRD - Project No. 200

Project researchers

Professor James Goff (UNSW) – Co Chief Investigator
Dr Geoffroy Lamarche (NIWA, New Zealand) – Co Chief Investigator (main contact: g.lamarche@niwa.co.nz)
Dr Bernard Pelletier (IRD, New Caledonia) – Co Chief Investigator
Mansour Ioualalen (IRD, New Caledonia) – Co Chief Investigator

Project description

Aim

The purpose of this study is to identify evidence for prehistoric tsunamis on the Island of Futuna, in order to assess the magnitude and frequency of past events, and to develop an initial understanding of the implications for the sustainable development of Futuna. The results of the research will serve to underpin the development of a co-ordinated approach for the assessment of the tsunami hazard for Futuna and the neighbouring small island nations of Wallis, Samoa and Fiji.

Background

The Pacific Plan calls for stable and safe social (or human) and political conditions necessary for, and reflective of, good governance and sustainable development for the achievement of economic growth. One of the initiatives to achieve this objective is the development and implementation of policies and plans for the mitigation and management of natural disasters. This is essential for the community to be better prepared for future catastrophic natural hazard events, and to eventually become more resilient. The development of policies and plans in the absence of a reasonable understanding of the origins, physical mechanisms and consequences of natural disasters on the communities is deemed to be inefficient, at best, and dangerous at worst.

The 83 km² island of Futuna is located in the south-west Pacific approximately 400 km NE of Fiji, and 600 km west of Samoa, in one of the most tectonically and seismically active region of the world. The island is located along the North Fiji Transform zone, and more particularly at the intersection of the active Futuna Spreading centre to the south and the Futuna Transform Fault to the east. Hence the region is subjected to high seismic activity, submarine volcanism and landslides. All of which are potentially tsunamigenic.

Hence, the tsunami hazard is of critical importance for the population of >4000, all of whom live within 400 m of the coast. However, while a reasonable amount is known about the extensive tectonic natural hazards of earthquakes and volcanoes in the SW Pacific, there is surprisingly little data concerning tsunamis. This is even more surprising given the devastating effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (earthquake-generated), and SW Pacific events such as the 2007 Solomon Islands (earthquake), 1999 Vanuatu (earthquake), 1998 Papua New Guinea (submarine landslide), and 1883 Krakatau (volcanic) tsunamis. Locally, three casualties were directly attributed to the 12 March 1993 MW6.4 earthquake, as well as significant building damage, the uplift of the south coast, and a small local tsunami. There are known oral traditions of tsunamis on the Island of Futuna.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the French Scientific Services of the French Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand for their help in developing this project.

Publications arising from this research project

Goff, J., Charley, D., Haruel, C. and Bonte-Grapentin, M. (2008) Preliminary findings of the geological evidence and oral history of tsunamis in Vanuatu. SOPAC Technical Report No.416, 49 pp.

Other relevant webpages

http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/oceans

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