Lipimávida

When I first visited Lipimávida in 2008, it seemed a tranquil settlement along the Chilean beach. The only hint of foreboding was a buried layer of sand that we found in a potato field. We thought that the sand might of been the result of an ancient tsunami. The tsunami in 2010 covered the same field with sand, forcefully supporting our suspicions. Now if we can only get a reliable date on the buried sand layer. Carbon 14 dating for events since the beginning of the industrial revolution is pretty flaky.

The owner of the potato field describes the area as Brian Atwater digs a pit.

Yuki Sawai samples the possible tsunami deposit. Darwin’s tsunami in 1835?

Don José Luís shows us the branch that saved his life when the 2010 tsunami swept him up.