GeoEnvironmental Consultants Paleotsunami investigations Okoropunga and Pukerua Bay Prepared for Wellington Regional Council 0 L1 $ caring about you your environment Paleotsunami investigations — Okoropunga and Pukerua Bay GeoEnvironmental Consultants In Association with Bruce McFadgen (ArchResearch) Prepared for Wellington Regional Council Information contained in this report should not be used without the prior consent of Wellington Regional Council. This report has been prepared by GeoEnvironmental Consultants exclusively for and under contract to the Wellington Regional Council. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all liability of the consultancy to any party other than Wellington Regional Council in respect of this report is expressly excluded. Approved by: James Goff, PhD GeoEnvironmental Client report: GE02002/20022/6 June 2002 GeoEnvironmental Consultants 11 The Terrace, Governors Bay, Lyttelton RD1, New Zealand Tel: +64 3 329 9533; Fax: +64 3 329 9534; e-mail:
[email protected] Paleotsunami investigations — Okoropunga and Pukerua Bay EXECUTIVE SUM Possible paleotsunami sites were investigated in the Okoropunga and Pukerua Bay areas. A late 15th Century tsunami deposit is reported from Okoropunga, and its association with an overlying gravel soil is discussed. The argument for this being a tsunami as opposed to a storm deposit is addressed with use being made of the ,-.rd i April 2002 storm deposit that was laid down in the area. Material was also taken from a site at Te Oroi, where it was noted that recent storm activity had exposed a considerable length of coastal sediments, providing a rare opportunity for future work. The tsunami deposit is linked with other evidence from around the region and elsewhere.