Truncated dunes as evidence of the 2004 tsunami in North Sumatra and environmental recovery post-tsunami

摘要

The 2004 tsunami transformed the coast of Indonesia. This research investigates a sand dune area in Lampuuk, Sumatra, that was scoured by tsunami flow. We assessed geomorphology one-year post-event and examine the timescale of vegetation recovery. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) evidence shows an eroded succession of thin dipping units, overlain by aeolian layers 0 to 50cm thick. Incipient dunes were absent, indicating limited dune rebuilding at one-year post-tsunami, possibly resulting from channelised airflow and the absence of vegetation. Recolonisation by vegetation was initially limited but progressed rapidly between 2005 and 2011, highlighting the temporal non-linearity of recovery processes.