The Shetland Islands are one of the key sites in the Atlantic Ocean to study tsunami deposits, with three major events identified during the Holocene so far. Here, we aim to (i) reconstruct hydrodynamics of the late Holocene Dury Voe tsunami, (ii) constrain the sediment source area, and (iii) refine its age estimate. Onshore sandy deposits bracketed by thick dystrophic peat as well as marine sediment from the intertidal to offshore zone were sampled at Dury Voe and subjected to laser diffraction grain-size analysis, heavy mineral analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and foraminiferal analysis. Furthermore, we present the first onshore luminescence dating for deposits on Shetland for quartz and feldspar. The combined results from grain-size and heavy mineral analyses indicate that at least two major tsunami waves entrained fine-grained sediment from the intertidal zone down to ~14 m water depth. The proximal deposit, close to the coast, is separated into a massive and an inversely graded subunit, characteristic of deposition in a very high energy, high-density suspension flow, whilst further inland it shows two fining-upward sequences, characteristic of a suspension grading and lower-energy, lower-density flow. Foraminiferal assemblages are diverse and abundant in the shallow-marine source deposits, but entirely missing in the tsunami deposits onshore, possibly due to post-sedimentary chemical dissolution in the very low-pH environment, which also affected the onshore heavy mineral composition. Data from Bayesian age modelling of the luminescence ages, in combination with pre-existing radiocarbon data, indicate tsunami impact at 470–630 CE. Our findings refine tsunami hydrodynamics at Dury Voe and the overall chronology in the Shetland region, and highlight the role of acidic post-depositional environments in modifying palaeotsunami signatures.

We present a high-resolution seismic–sedimentological reconstruction of post-glacial sedimentation in three shallow offshore basins around the Shetland Islands (Dury Voe, Colgrave Sound/Basta Voe, and Yell Sound), based on integrated multibeam bathymetry, sub-bottom profiler data, and 77 vibrocores supported by radiocarbon dating. Sediment distribution is strongly controlled by inherited bedrock morphology, with post-glacial deposits preferentially accumulating in overdeepened sub-basins, while intervening highs remain sediment-starved. The stratigraphic successions consistently record four stages: (i) a pre-marine substrate of bedrock locally overlain by glacial or glaciofluvial deposits; (ii) early post-glacial infill formed under low-energy, restricted conditions (fluvial, lacustrine to estuarine/lagoonal); (iii) a transitional phase linked to early Holocene marine transgression and increasing hydrodynamic influence; and (iv) an upper unit dominated by sand-rich, current-influenced marine deposits forming laterally extensive mounded drift geometries. High-amplitude, laterally continuous seismic units with sharp erosional bases and shell-rich, poorly sorted lithologies record regionally extensive extreme-wave events. Radiocarbon ages constrain the most prominent deposit to ca. 8.15 ka cal BP, enabling correlation with the Storegga Slide tsunami across offshore and nearshore settings. A younger event dated to ca. 1.5 ka cal BP is identified in Dury Voe and correlates with late Holocene onshore tsunami records in Shetland. These results demonstrate that shallow voes preserve a coherent post-glacial stratigraphic framework, bridging offshore and onshore records, and provide new constraints on relative sea-level change and hydrodynamic reorganisation following marine transgression in formerly glaciated coastal systems.

Linear anomalies of vegetation vitality observed in satellite images motivated in-depth investigations of historical anthropogenic modification and exploitation of the paleo-floodplain of the late-glacial Bergstra ss enneckar (BSN) in the Upper Rhine Graben near Mannheim (southwestern Germany). Stratigraphic investigations based on up to 1.7 m deep pits, sediment sampling, and laboratory analyses (grain size distribution; C, N, S; loss on ignition; X-ray fluorescence; morphoscopy of sand grains), as well as electrical resistivity tomography, reveal the presence of long parallel trenches cutting into the organic-rich and fine-grained natural strata which result from silting-up of the abandoned BSN channel during the Holocene. The linear features are interpreted as anthropogenic trenches and were later filled with sand. We identify an aeolian origin of the sand, which points to the use of sand, e.g., from the nearby Bettenberg dune of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to late-glacial age. The samples for optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL) from the fill of the trenches show a wide range of equivalent doses and insufficient bleaching as sand was filled in lumps during shoveling. This results in ages ranging from the LGM to 300 years, depending on the aliquot and age model. This wide range indicates incomplete bleaching and is in agreement with the manual filling process in historical times. Further corroboration is provided by data from the Hesse State Archive at Darmstadt through a license for clay mining and brick burning at the study site dated to 1865 CE, explicitly requiring immediate fill. Local-scale clay pits for mud-brick production have been known about in western Europe since Roman times. However, access to the resources in the BSN channels in 1865 CE was only possible after a significant fall in groundwater tables following the regulation campaign of the Rhine system starting in the first half of the 19th century, which, in a wider context, illustrates the extent to which large-scale anthropogenic changes in the fluvioscape have cascading effects down to the local scale.

Understanding the evolution of coastal environments requires integrating evidence from both onshore coastal regions and shallow marine environments. The Shetland Islands offer a unique natural laboratory to investigate episodic impacts on the coastal environment through abundant well-preserved tsunami deposits. While numerous studies have identified tsunami deposits onshore in the Shetland Islands, offshore tsunami deposits remain underexplored. This study aims to reconstruct the stratigraphic history of these offshore environments by utilizing shallow seismic surveys, geomorphological analyses, and sediment core investigations.Bathymetric data and sub-bottom profiles reveal a complex geomorphology characterized by bedrock exposures and isolated depressions that form sub-basins. Initial sedimentation filled these preexisting basins, and this was then overlain by shallow marine sediments that typically accumulated in mounded depocenters, suggesting a strong influence of bottom currents. Stratigraphic reconstruction across three study areas (Dury Voe, Basta Voe, and Sullom Voe) reveals a consistent pattern: moraine deposits associated with glacial till at the base, overlain by postglacial lacustrine or fluvial deposits near the shoreline, and transitioning into shallow marine deposits indicative of transgressive phases in deeper areas.Within this sedimentary sequence, anomalous layers were identified in all three voes, marked by high-amplitude reflectors and contrasting characteristics, including coarser grain sizes and erosional boundaries, suggesting deposition by extreme wave events. Preliminary dating of these layers aligns with the Storegga tsunami (~8150 cal yr BP) and a Holocene tsunami event around 1500 cal yr BP.These findings underscore the influence of local bathymetric conditions, sediment supply, and depositional configurations in shaping the distribution of offshore tsunami deposits in the shallow waters surrounding the Shetland Islands. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of Holocene coastal evolution and the geological record of extreme wave events. For instance, we reconstruct connectivity between onshore and offshore deposits and try to establish a model of how the offshore deposit changes with distance to the coast, and how the environmental factors influence this model.

The Bat oasis is located in the valley of the Wadi al Hijr, in the western piedmont of the Hajar Mountains. Occupied since the Neolithic period, the Bat archaeological complex is well-known for its Bronze Age funerary and domestic structures related to the first oasis of Oman and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the central oasis of Bat is beginning to be well studied, there is scarce information on its network with peripheral sites as well as local-scale environmental change across mid- to late Holocene. The sediment-filled depression of Rakhat al Madrh, c. 7.5 km NE of the central oasis presents five remote Bronze Age dwellings associated with courtyards, represents a key site to fill this gap.This circular depression filled with khabra-like deposits covers 1,600 m². It is surrounded by an outcrop of sandstone and quartzite to the east and calciturbidite to the west. The eastern part is topped by remnants of Pleistocene fluvial conglomerates. To the north-east, the depression is connected to the Wadi al Hijr by an alluvial fan. This depression has functioned as a sedimentary trap since at least the Upper Pleistocene (OSL dating: 46,400 ± 5600 BP). Nine soundings were opened down to a depth of up to 310 cm and sampled for sedimentological (grain-size distribution), geochemical (X-ray fluorescence and photometric analyses), mineralogical (X-ray diffraction) and micromorphological analyses. The chronostratigraphy is based on radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) data. The upper part of the soundings concerns the Bronze Age period, enabling us to connect the evolution of the depression with the Early Bronze Age occupation of this specific micro-environment. We follow a working hypothesis of two main types of sedimentary input, one mainly coming from the Wadi al Hijr through the alluvial fan (ex situ) characterized by pyroxenes, olivines, serpentines and poorer particle sorting, the other one from the immediate local sub-catchment of the depression (in situ) characterized by higher carbonate and quartz content as well as finer and better sorted particles. Whether the regional wadi and local sub-catchment inputs reflect more humid or arid phases, respectively, needs to be tested by further research. On a regional scale, the occupation of Rakhat al Madrh by Early Bronze Age societies is remarkable due to its persistence up to the mid-Umm An Nar period, in spite of aridification. Adapting to the restrictive conditions of the arid environment meant exploiting the distinctive local features of the environment. Rakhat al Madrh could belong to a network of grazing area around the main oasis, which, in addition to a few groundwater sites, provided the water resources, thus justifying the designation of Rakhat al Madrh as an oasian peripheral site.Keywords : geoarchaeology, geomorphology, sedimentology, Holocene, arid environment, Oman

High-resolution reconstructions of the relative sea-level (RSL) evolution are important for managing coastal-protection challenges and for hazard assessment. For the determination of palaeo-tsunami run-up heights in the Shetland Islands, United Kingdom, within the NORSEAT Project (Storegga and beyond – North Sea tsunami deposits offshore Shetland Islands), RSL reconstructions far beyond existing data are needed. Existing RSL data is limited to two time frames (ca. 7900–5990 cal BP and around 3500 cal BP) and include a large vertical error (approximately ±8 m around the time of the Storegga tsunami). More detailed Holocene RSL reconstructions shall be enabled by a combined modern training set of foraminifers and ostracods from three different voes of Shetlands largest island, Mainland. The training set serves as a basis for a RSL transfer function, which relates the elevation of surface samples to the modern microfaunal associations. This transfer function will be a valuable tool for high-resolution RSL reconstructions from the Holocene stratigraphic record around the Shetland Islands as shown by previous studies in Northern Germany.Investigations of 44 surface samples, which were collected from three salt marshes and adjacent tidal flats (south Dales Voe, Dury Voe and north Dales Voe), are in progress. First results show highly diverse foraminifer and ostracod associations in the salt marsh and very low occurrence of microfauna in the very coarse parts of the tidal flat. Small areas of very muddy tidal flats suggest higher abundances than the latter. Aside from the investigation of the microfaunal distribution, analyses of environmental parameters like the grain-size distribution and the carbonate and organic matter content are still in progress. Multivariate statistics will determine the main influencing factor of the microfauna distribution between these environmental proxies and the elevation relative to mean sea level.If the training set is feasible for a RSL transfer function, in a next step, it will be applied to Holocene deposits from offshore cores around Shetland that were conducted within the NORSEAT Project. The resulting new RSL reconstructions will enable more accurate determination of run ups of the currently identified palaeo-tsunamis (Storegga and two younger events).

Hurricane Matthew struck the province of Guant & aacute;namo in southeastern Cuba in 2016 by making landfall as the first and only hurricane reaching category 4 in documented history. We surveyed transport path, distance and mode of coastal boulder deposits (CBD) after the event at three coastal sites and compared them with thepre-Matthewboulderscape, which reflects the effects of extreme-wave events on millennial time scales. The application of a dimensionless analytical framework comparing elevation, CBD size and wave climate with a global dataset of storm-transported CBD shows that boulder transport during Matthew is at the uppermost possible limit, while larger boulders that remained inactive hint to even more intense hurricanes or a large tsunami in the prehistoric past. Most observations support typical patterns of storm-transported CBD in carbonate environments, such as a source at the cliff edge, preferential sourcing and clustering at shoreline indentations and a stepwise movement inland during multiple storm events. The study shows that Hurricane Matthew is not unique in Guant & aacute;namo in terms of intensity on larger, prehistoric time scales. At the same time, recurrence intervals of highest-category hurricanes in this region may decrease with ongoing climate change prompting the need to use the inland distribution of CBD plus additional buffer as minimum setback zones in coastal hazard management.

In 2024, the Working Group on Marine and Coastal Geography (Arbeitskreis Geographie der Meere und Küsten, AMK) looked back on 40 years of exchange and collaboration between coastal scientists and professionals. Since its foundation in 1983 as a working group of the German Society for Geography (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geographie, DGfG) (Paffen & Kortum 1984; Zimmermann 1984), the AMK has developed into a central platform for research on coastal geographical research in German-speaking countries, fostering a dialogue across physical and human geography as well as many neighbouring disciplines. This special issue marks the anniversary by highlighting both contemporary research perspectives in marine and coastal geography based on global examples and the practices of coastal observation and protection along the German coasts.

Tropical cyclones and storm surges are a major threat to coastal communities of the Philippines. On 08th No-vember 2013, category 5 Typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) made landfall on the islands of Eastern Visayas and caused more than 6000 casualties and severe damage to infrastructure and habitats. To assess the geomorphic impact of one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, three post-typhoon surveys were conducted in 2014, 2015 and 2016 at two severely affected sites on the islands of Leyte and Samar. They aimed at documenting Haiyan-related erosional features and sand deposits. The sites have different geomorphic and geological settings, and exposure to the typhoon track. Differential global navigation satellite system (DGNSS) measurements and sediment analyses were used to document erosion and washover deposition caused by waves and coastal flooding of the beach ridge systems, as well as their recovery and changes over time. Shoreline changes were measured on high-resolution satellite images using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to determine the typhoon's impact and recovery potential at a larger spatial scale. The results show the potential to identify storm-wave erosion and washover deposits in sandy ridge sequences across larger time scales. However, fine sedimentary signatures, such as millimetre-scale lamination, may be rapidly overprinted by bioturbation and geomorphic reorganisation of the coast. The coastline tends to return to its pre-storm equilibrium, whereas the pace depends on whether eroded sands remain within reach of the long-term wave regime, on the frequency of subsequent high-category storms and very local geomorphic conditions.

Offshore tsunami deposits have received considerably less attention than their onshore counterparts, despite the fact that they have a higher likelihood of being preserved in the sedimentary record, especially in sufficiently deep marine environments, below the storm wave base. Here we provide the first results from our study of Holocene tsunami deposits offshore the Shetland Islands. The region is characterized by an irregular coastline with fjords and numerous embayments, and relatively deep waters (up to 100 meters in depth), providing a sheltered environment, and by an extensively studied and well-documented onshore record of tsunami deposits, which should facilitate correlations between onshore and offshore event deposits. Within the NORSEAT Project (North Sea Tsunami Deposits Offshore Shetland Island), we aim to identify and trace tsunami deposits offshore, thoroughly study their characteristics and extent, and determine whether the offshore record holds evidence of events additional to those already known from the onshore record (i.e. the Storrega tsunami and two events at ca. 5500 yr and ca. 1500 yr BP), which would offer new insights into recurrence intervals. Two surveys with RV Belgica have already been conducted, during which high-resolution geophysical data (multibeam bathymetry and backscatter, geoacoustic and seismic data) were collected, along with several vibrocores, in three embayment areas around the Shetland Islands.Bathymetric data and sub-bottom profiles reveal a complex geomorphology, including a.o. elevated features, like bedrock exposures, and isolated depressions that function as sub-basins. The sedimentary sequences infilling these sub-basins are characterized by a complex stratigraphy and comprise several different sedimentary units. Along the west and east fjords of Sullom Voe, three distinct sub-environments (inner, middle, and outer voe) exhibit a diverse and well-preserved stratigraphy, potentially including a significant event deposit. A set of prominent strong reflectors at a depth of 1-2 m below the seafloor is interpreted as dynamic shallow marine deposits, which is supported by the results of the vibrocores retrieved at these sites. Out of the total 31 sediment cores taken, many contain coarser-grained layers sandwiched between finer-grained deposits. These coarser layers, often with sharp basal contacts and normal grading patterns, suggest temporary interruptions of the steady-state sedimentary regime and are interpreted as possible event deposits based on their contrasting textural and lithological characteristics.In the next phase of our analysis, we aim to obtain the exact timing and detailed information about the depositional setting based on radiocarbon dating, grain size analysis, geochemical analysis, mineral distribution patterns, and the distribution of microfossils within the sediment cores, which should help us to build a robust tsunami event stratigraphy for the region, combined with planned sea-level reconstructions, assess their run-up heights based on the onshore-offshore connection and the fundamental research on sedimentary signatures and facies patterns of offshore tsunami deposits.

High-resolution relative sea-level (RSL) reconstructions are important for managing coastal-protection challenges and for a complete hazard assessment. For the determination of palaeo-tsunami run-up heights in the Shetland Islands, United Kingdom, within the NORSEAT Project (Storegga and beyond – North Sea tsunami deposits offshore Shetland Islands), reconstructions of the RSL far beyond existing data are crucial. Existing RSL data are limited to two time periods (ca. 7900–5990 cal BP and around 3500 cal BP) and extrapolation of these data leads to a large vertical error (±8 m around the time of the Storegga tsunami). More detailed Holocene RSL reconstructions shall be enabled by a combined modern training set of foraminifers and ostracods from three different voes of Shetlands largest island, Mainland. A RSL transfer function, which relates the elevation, hence the duration of water coverage, of surface samples to the modern microfaunal associations, will be derived from the training set. This transfer function will be a valuable tool for high-resolution RSL reconstructions from the Holocene stratigraphic record around the Shetland Islands.44 surface samples were collected from three salt marshes and adjacent tidal flats (southern Dales Voe, Dury Voe and northern Dales Voe). Most salt-marsh samples contain exclusively agglutinated foraminifers, with lower occurrences in the upper marsh, whereas in a small pond with permanent water coverage (Dury Voe), also calcareous foraminifers and living ostracods where found. Abundances decrease in most tidal-flat samples, with coarser areas almost void of microfauna, and increase again towards the low-tide and subtidal level. Aside from the investigation of the microfaunal distribution, analyses of environmental parameters like the grain-size distribution and the carbonate and organic matter content are still in progress. Multivariate statistics will determine the main influencing factor of the microfauna distribution between these environmental proxies and the elevation relative to mean sea level.The final transfer function will be applied to Holocene deposits from offshore cores around Shetland that were conducted within the NORSEAT Project. The resulting new RSL reconstructions will enable a more accurate determination of run ups of the currently identified palaeo-tsunamis (Storegga and two younger events).

Coastal boulder deposits provide vital information on extreme wave events. They are crucial for understanding storm and tsunami impacts on rocky coasts, and for understanding long-term hazard histories. But study of these deposits is still a young field, and growth in investigation has been rapid, without much contact between research groups. Therefore, inconsistencies in field data collection among different studies hinder cross-site comparisons and limit the applicability of findings across disciplines. This paper analyses field methodologies for coastal boulder deposit measurement based using an integrated database (ISROC-DB), and demonstrates inconsistencies in current approaches. We use the analysis as a basis for outlining protocols to improve data comparability and utility for geoscientists, engineers, and coastal planners. Using standardised and comprehensive data reporting with due attention to precision and reproducibility - including site characteristics, boulder dimensions, complete positional data, tide characteristics, and geodetic and local topographic datum information - will help ensure complete data retrieval in the field. Applying these approaches will further ensure that data collected at different times and/or locations, and by different groups, is useful not just for the study being undertaken, but for other researchers to analyse and reuse. We hope to foster development of the large, internally consistent datasets that are the basis for fruitful meta-analysis. This is particularly important given increasing focus on long-term monitoring of coastal change. By recommending a common set of measurements, adaptable to available equipment and personnel, this work aims to support accurate and thorough coastal boulder deposit documentation, enabling broader applicability and future-proofed datasets. Field protocols described and recommended here also apply as best practices for coastal geomorphology field work in general.

Coastal boulder deposits are long-lived signatures of high-energy storm wave and tsunami inundation found on rocky and reefal coastlines worldwide. Although increasing numbers of research reports have been published on coastal boulder deposits, it has been difficult to compare studies from different areas because of a lack of standardised data and of quality-controlled datasets. This paper describes ISROC-DB, a new standardised database compiled from both published and unpublished data. There are two important parts: 1. Uniform standards to enable collation and intercomparison of coastal boulder deposits, with preformatted Excel files to enable convenient data entry; and 2. A freely accessible compiled database of coastal boulder deposit data. Both are published in downloadable permanent archives. Ongoing additions will further increase the database scope.

ABSTRACT Severe storm flooding poses a major hazard to the coasts of north‐western Europe. However, the long‐term recurrence patterns of extreme coastal flooding and their governing factors are poorly understood. Therefore, high‐resolution sedimentary records of past North Atlantic storm flooding are required. This multi‐proxy study reconstructs storm‐induced overwash processes from coastal lake sediments on the Shetland Islands using grain‐size and geochemical data, and the re‐analysis of historical data. The chronostratigraphy is based on Bayesian age–depth modelling using accelerator mass spectrometry 14 C and 137 Cs data. A high XRF‐based Si/Ti ratio and the unimodal grain‐size distribution link the sand layers to the beach and thus storm‐induced overwash events. Periods with more frequent storm flooding occurred 980–1050, 1150–1300, 1450–1550, 1820–1900 and 1950–2000 ce, which is largely consistent with a positive North Atlantic Oscillation mode. The Little Ice Age (1400–1850 ce ) shows a gap of major sand layers suggesting a southward shift of storm tracks and a seasonal variance with more storm floods in spring and autumn. Warmer phases shifted winter storm tracks towards the north‐east Atlantic, indicating a possible trend for future storm‐track changes and increased storm flooding in the northern North Sea region.

Tsunami deposits around the North Sea basin are needed to assess the long‐term hazard of tsunamis. Here, we present sedimentary evidence of the youngest tsunami on the Shetland Islands from Loch Flugarth, a coastal lake on northern Mainland. Three gravity cores show organic‐rich background sedimentation with many sub‐centimetre‐scale sand layers, reflecting recurring storm overwash and a sediment source limited to the active beach and uppermost subtidal zone. A basal 13‐cm‐thick sand layer, dated to 426–787 cal. a CE based on 14 C, 137 Cs and Bayesian age–depth modelling, was found in all cores. High‐resolution grain‐size analysis identified four normally graded or massive sublayers with inversely graded traction carpets at the base of two sublayers. A thin organic‐rich ‘mud’ drape and a ‘mud’ cap cover the two uppermost sublayers, which also contain small rip‐up clasts. Grain‐size distributions show a difference between the basal sand layer and the coarser and better sorted storm layers above. Multivariate statistical analysis of X‐ray fluorescence core scanning data also distinguishes both sand units: Zr, Fe and Ti dominate the thick basal sand, while the thin storm layers are high in K and Si. Enriched Zr and Ti in the basal sand layer, in combination with increased magnetic susceptibility, may be related to higher heavy mineral content reflecting an additional marine sediment source below the storm‐wave base that is activated by a tsunami. Based on reinterpretation of chronological data from two different published sites and the chronostratigraphy of the present study, the tsunami seems to date to c . 1400 cal. a BP. Although the source of the tsunami remains unclear, the lack of evidence for this event outside of the Shetland Islands suggests that it had a local source and was smaller than the older Storegga tsunami (8.15 cal. ka BP), which affected most of the North Sea basin.

The Bat landscape of northwestern Oman is one of intermittent archaeological remains and varied ecological conditions. The site has been a center for human activity since the Neolithic, most famously attested by the Early Bronze Age tombs, towers, and settlement of the UNESCO World Heritage zone. This paper presents recent research conducted by the Bat Archaeological Project in reconstructing the site’s third millennium BC cultural landscape and the human-environment interactions that led to its creation and long-term occupation. Three of Bat’s Early Bronze Age environs: the Settlement Slope, al-Khutm, and Rakhat al-Madrh are discussed in view of their ecological, geomorphological, and archaeological contexts. New archaeobotanical and 14C results are presented. These discoveries suggest Bat’s ancient inhabitants sought out and utilized diverse environments in order to establish cultural and ecological resilience within a localized area. Ultimately, we propose an expansion to the traditional oasis model of settlement and agricultural development in southeast Arabia, arguing for a systems-based approach that incorporates roles played by environs beyond the oasis.

This geoarchaeological survey was dedicated to (i) the Umm an-Nar (2700–2000 BCE) settlement site of Dahwa and surrounding areas in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains as well as (ii) the coastal area near Saham on the Batinah coastal plain in northern Oman, the latter without focus on a specific cultural epoch. Stratigraphic sections from the proximal coastal plain provide insights into highly dynamic episodic sedimentation patterns with thick units of variable grain sizes and sorting. In one of the stratigraphic profiles in the town of Saham, a small anthropogenic pit or channel was found, interpreted as a pit hearth used by the Samad culture (300 BCE–100/200 CE) based on granulometry, thin-section analysis, clustered macro-charcoals, amorphous organic remains, as well as luminescence and 14C dating. Our coincidental discovery of this site indicates that there might be abundant traces of the Samad culture buried in the thick alluvium, from a period of hydrologically favourable conditions c. 50–300 CE. The Umm an-Nar dating of the Dahwa archaeological site in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains was confirmed for the first time by luminescence dating, although the low dose rate and high scatter of equivalent doses pose substantial challenges to the regional application of this method.

Tsunami deposits are required to assess the long-term hazard of tsunamis, in particular in regions with a short and fragmented historical record. In the North Sea region, evidence of tsunamis is scarce. However, the Shetland Islands are an exception, as they provide abundant deposits of the Storegga tsunami c. 8150 cal. a BP, and more fragmented evidence of younger events ~5500 and ~1500 cal. a BP. Sediments of the youngest tsunami – the so-called Dury Voe event – are considered uncertain and have only been found at two sites so far, as thin landward fining and landward thinning sand sheets which are vertically confined by peat. Here, we present sedimentary evidence for a tsunami from the small coastal lake of Loch Flugarth, northern Mainland. Three gravity cores of up to 91 cm length were taken behind the barrier separating the lake from a shallow marine embayment. The cores show organic-rich background deposition with many sub-cm-scale sand layers, reflecting recurring storm overwash and a sediment source limited to the active beach and uppermost subtidal. A basal 13 cm-thick sand layer, dated to 426–787 cal. a CE based on 14C-AMS, 137Cs and Bayesian age-depth modelling, was found in all three cores. High-resolution grain-size analysis identified four normally graded sublayers with inversely graded traction carpets in the lower part of two sublayers. An organic-rich “mud” drape and “mud” cap, respectively, cover the upper two sublayers, which also contain small rip-up clasts. Grain-size distributions shows a difference between the basal sand layer and the thin storm layers, which are coarser and better sorted. Principal component analysis of XRF core scanning data also distinguishes both sand units, mostly driven by Zr, Fe and Ti in the basal sand. This, in combination with increased magnetic susceptibility, may be related to higher heavy mineral content reflecting an additional marine sediment source for the tsunami deposit. Based on reinterpretation of chronological data from the two published sites and the chronostratigraphy of the present study, the Dury Voe tsunami seems to be younger than previously estimated, i.e. closer to 1400–1300 cal. a BP. The source of the tsunami remains unclear. As there is no evidence for this event outside the Shetlands, the size of the tsunami is expected to be smaller than the Storegga tsunami, which affected most of the North Sea basin.

To assess the long-term hazard of tsunamis, particularly in regions with a short and fragmented historical record, sedimentary deposits of tsunamis are an essential tool. In the North Sea region, evidence of tsunamis is scarce. The Shetland Islands are an exception, as they contain abundant deposits of the Storegga tsunami (c. 8150 cal. a BP), and additionally more fragmented evidence of younger tsunami events c. 5500 and c. 1500 cal. a BP. Sediments of the youngest tsunami (the “Dury Voe” event) have only been found at two sites so far, marked by thin landward fining and landward thinning sand sheets which are vertically confined by peat. Here, we present sedimentary evidence for the youngest Shetland tsunami from the small coastal lake of Loch Flugarth, northern Mainland. Three gravity cores of up to 91.7 cm length were taken behind the barrier separating the lake from a shallow marine embayment. The cores show organic-rich background deposition with many sub-cm-scale sand layers, reflecting recurring storm overwash and a sediment source limited to the active beach and uppermost subtidal zone. A basal 13 cm-thick sand layer, dated to 426–787 cal. a CE based on 14 C, 137 Cs and Bayesian age-depth modelling, was found in all three cores. High-resolution grain-size analysis identified four normally graded sublayers with inversely graded traction carpets in the lower part of two sublayers. An organic-rich ‘mud’ drape and ‘mud’ cap cover the upper two sublayers, which also contain small rip-up clasts. Grain-size distributions show a difference between the basal sand layer and the coarser and better sorted thin storm layers. Principal component analysis of X-ray fluorescence core scanning data also distinguishes both sand units: Zr, Fe and Ti dominate the basal sand, while the thin storm layers are high in K and Si. The enrichment of the basal sand layer in Zr and Ti, in combination with increased magnetic susceptibility, may be related to higher heavy mineral content in the basal sand reflecting the additional marine sediment source of a tsunami deposit below the storm-wave base. Based on reinterpretation of chronological data from the two published sites and the chronostratigraphy of the present study, the Dury Voe tsunami seems to be slightly younger, i.e., closer to 1400 cal. a BP. Although the source of the tsunami remains unclear, the lack of evidence for this event outside of the Shetlands suggests that it was smaller than the older Storegga tsunami, which affected most of the North Sea basin.