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Late Holocene Coastal Morphology and Sea-Level Records on Three

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Late Holocene Coastal Morphology and Sea-Level Records on Three Geographical Review of Japan Vol. 58 (Ser. B), No. 2,185-194,1985 Late Holocene Coastal Morphology and Sea-level Records on Three Small Islands, the South Ryukyus, Japan* Yoko OTA, 1) Paolo A. PIRAZZOLI, 2) Toshio KAWANA3) and Hiroshi MORIWAKI 4) The Holocene coastal morphology of three small islands, Kohama, Kuro and Hateruma, of the southern part of the Ryukyu Islands, Southwest Japan, is discussed in relation to paleo sea-level indicators. Three islands are located between about 24•‹0•L N and 24•‹20•L N, and are largely under lain by Pleistocene coral limestones. They are fringed by emergent coastal features such as marine terraces and marine notches. Emergent marine deposits and fossils are also preserved. Present elevations of these landforms and fossils generally range from 1.0 to 1.5m above mean sea level (AMSL) and C-14 dates for five samples are younger than ca. 4,200yBP. Sea level was slightly higher than at present, about 1m AMSL from ca. 3,300 to 800yBP in Kohama and Hateruma and about 1.5m AMSL at about 4,200yBP in Kuro Island. No definite evidence is found to con firm the culmination of postglacial sea-level rise which is usually observed on the Japanese coast at about 6,000yBP. Age of placement and orientation of large boulders scattered on the terrace up to 22m high on Hateruma Island probably suggest their tsunami origin, associated with the 1771 earthquake. Channel with different height, fringed by the I. Introduction Holocene coral reefs on some islands (e.g. OTA and HORS,1980). Recent coral reefs in The Ryukyu Islands are situated southwest the Ryukyus show a fringing reef type except of mainland Japan, and extend about 1,200km in the areas off the Yaeyama Islands (the between Taiwan and Kyushu. The zonal South Ryukyus) and off Kume Island (the structure and the main geomorphological units Central Ryukyus), where small-scale barrier in the adjacent area of the Ryukyu Islands are reefs 10 to 20m deep are developed. The as follows (from west to east): Tunghai Shelf Holocene sea-level stands in the entire Ryukyus on the East China Sea, Okinawa Trough (max have been discussed by PIRAZZOLI(1978), OTA imum depth: about 2,200m), Quaternary vol and HORS(1980) and KOBAet al. (1982), men canic front, Ryukyu Geoanticline (correspond tioning that, in general, the Holocene sea-level ing to the main parts of the Ryukyu Islands), stands in the South Ryukyus are lower than and Ryukyu Trench (maximum depth : 7,881m) those in the North and the Central Ryukyus. on the Philippine Sea. The Ryukyu Islands This paper deals with the Holocene sea-level are divided into three groups (the North, the records in Kuro, Kohama and Hateruma Central and the South Ryukyus) by two major Islands, the South Ryukyus, based on the left-lateral strike-slip faults: the Tokara Chan survey of marine notches, beachrock, coral nel and the Kerama Gap (or Miyako Depres fossils and intertidal barnacles. In addition, sion) (KONISHI,1965). large boulders on Hateruma Island are dis Pleistocene Ryukyu Limestone occurs cussed in relation to tsunami. Elevations, throughout the Ryukyus southwest of Tokara measured by hand-levels in relation to the pre 1) Department of Geography, Yokohama National University, Yokohama 240, Japan. 2) C. N. R. S.-INTERGEO, 191 rue St-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France. 3) Department of Geography, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-01 Japan. 4) Department of Geography, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 158, Japan. * A contribution to the IGCP Project No. 200: "Sea-level correlations and applications" 186 Y . OTA et al. Table 1. Tidal range in studied area based on the local datum at Ishigaki Port, Ishigaki Island. (1): Mean values compiled from the Okinawa Branch of the Japanese Meteorological Association (1981) . The MHH(LL)WSL corresponds to the average highest (lowest) level reached at each spring tide . (2): The average annual and spring values are calculated from the tide table of the year 1981 (see the above reference) . Figure 1. Index map of South Ryukyu Islands . Bathymetries are shown in meters. sent sea-level, were corrected to the elevations omote Islands. The Sekisei Lagoon , less than above mean sea level (AMSL), with reference 20m deep, is surrounded by barrier reefs. to tide records at Ishigaki Island (Table 1). Several islands within the lagoon are composed Samples collected for radiocarbon dating, were of Paleozoic rocks, truncated and capped by analysed by the Japan Radioisotope Associa Pleistocene coral limestones of various ages, tion and the GIF Laboratory (France). Field and surrounded by fringing reefs (Figure 1). work was carried out in March, 1981. Hateruma Island is located about 25km The area studied is shown in Figure 1. south of the lagoon, close to the Ryukyu Kohama and Kuro are small islands in the Trench. This island is entirely underlain by Sekisei Lagoon, which was named by EGUCHI Pleistocene coral limestone unconf ormably (1974), between tile large Ishigaki and Iri overlying Pliocene sedimentary rocks, and Coastal Morphology in the South Ryukyus 187 probably belongs to the "trench margin" zone minor emergence has occurred in the late (Zone I of OTAand HORI, 1980). In contrast, Quaternary. Kohama and Kuro Islands are a part of the Sea-levelindicators and their interpretation "outer rise" zone (Zone II) . The localities of the detailed observation are shown in Figure 2. II. Kohama Island Loc. 1: Beach deposits up to 2.7m about mean sea level (AMSL) including fragments of General coral and shells were observed at the foot of a Kohama Island (approximately 24•‹20•LN, sea cliff, cut in Paleozoic rocks. The upper 124•‹E, 10.3km2 in area) is located at the limit of the beach deposit may correspond to northern part of the Sekisei Lagoon. Undulat storm deposits. No radiometric age is avail ing surfaces of Pleistocene coral limestone able from this locality. surround a small and steep hill(99.4m in height) Loc. 2: A well-defined gently seaward slop which is composed of Paleozoic rocks (Figure ing surface, the inner margin of which is 1.9m 2). The absolute ages of the Pleistocene AMSL, is developed along an embayment of surfaces are unknown. At the northern the western coast. At the outer margin of coast, steep sea cliffs predominate, with the surface a concrete breakwater separates emerged marine notches near their base, but the surface from a mangrove swamp. Loc. 2 low flat surfaces less than 5m in elevation is east of the breakwater and about 1m AMSL occur along the other coasts (Figure 2). The at the top of the surface. At this locality, existence of these surfaces suggests that shells of Batillaria zonalis, typical of the inter tidal zone, were collected and dated at 2,580 •} 60yBP (N-4255). A small and higher rem nant of flat surface at 2.9m AMSL was also Figure 2. Kohama Island showing topography, localities discussed in the text and elevation data of coastal features re lated to relative sea-level movement. Figure 3. Kohama Island, Loc. 5, Arrow shows Contour interval is 10m, drawn from topographic map at a small Cyphastrea microatoll dated 1:50,000 scale. 1. Sea cliff 2. Holocene terrace 3. Sand dune 4. Locality at 3,300•}80yBP and remnants of a number 5. Elevation of marine terrace (in meters AMSL) former reef about 0.2m AMSL. 6. Elevation of retreat point of notch (in meters AMSL) The water level is 0.05m AMSL (photo P. P.). 188 Y. OTA et al . observed, although no outcrop of terrace de Port (Table 1). This estimation seems to be posits was found. consistent with SCOFFINand STODDART's(1978) Loc. 3 and Loc. 4: A well-defined terrace is assertion: the tidal level of microatolls are also observed along the eastern embayment , situated just below MLWSL. with sand dune at its outer edge. The inner Northern and southern coasts: Along the margin of the terrace is 1.1m AMSL at Loc. 3 northern coast and in the central part of thee and 1.8m AMSL at Loc. 4. Scattered shells on southern coast, emerged notches cut in Paleo the surface near Loc. 3 were dominated by zoic rocks or Pleistocene coral limestone were Melanoides tuberculatus chinensis (fresh water observed at the foot of the sea cliff. Elevations species) with other species characteristic of of retreat points in notches were measured mangrove swamps (e.g. Vittaina plumbea). Be at ten localities. They range from 0.3 to cause the inner margin of the surface is clearly 1.1m AMSL (Figure 2), with a predominant parallel to the coast, a marine origin of the elevation of 0.7 to 1.1m AMSL, suggesting surface is probable. probable correlation with the terrace at Loc. 2 Loc. 5: Remnants of a former reef slightly and 4. Therefore, sea-level about 2,600 to emergent at mean tide occur near the shore. 3,300yBP was about 1 m higher than at present Here, a small fossil coral about 25cm in in Kohama Island and a relative sea-level diameter and 15cm high, still in growth posi fall took place after that time. A higher tion, reaches 0.2m AMSL, and displays a sea-level older than about 3,000yBP may be typical microatoll shape (Figure 3). A sample inferred from the presence of higher beach or from the microatoll, collected at 0.2m AMSL bench at Loc. 1 (2.7m) and Loc. 2 (2.9m). has been dated at 3,300•}80yBP (N-4258) . Definite evidences of marine origin or ages The former MSL can be estimated about 0 .8 are not yet available.
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