A seismic tsunami in the Irish annals, recorded at Iona in October 720

TL;DR

This paper identifies a historical record of a seismic tsunami from 720 CE in Irish annals, correlating it with geological evidence and discussing its potential impact and deposits in Scotland and Ireland.

Contribution

It presents the first documented historical account of a seismic tsunami in Irish annals and correlates it with geological data to identify possible tsunami deposits.

Findings

Historical record of a tsunami in 720 CE at Iona.

Correlation with tsunami deposits in Shetland Isles.

Discussion of potential deposits in Scotland and Ireland.

Abstract

A historical record of a seismic tsunami is identified in the Irish annals for October 720 (all dates herein CE). It is contained in the earliest stratum of the annals, which survives in the form of a handful of iterated scribal copies of the foundational text of the tradition. This was compiled by the contemporary observation of noteworthy events for the years c. 563-740 at the monastery of Iona in the Scottish Hebrides. The 720 event is close outside the 2$\sigma$ radiocarbon terminus ante quem date ranges for tsunami deposits identified at Dury Voe (530-660) and Basta Voe (430-650) in the Shetland Isles, and is identified as a candidate progenitor. The possibility of the existence of associated tsunami deposits in Scotland or on the north coast of Ireland is highlighted.