Reconstructing 4000 years of event history in deep Lake Geneva (Switzerland-France): Insights from the sedimentary record

Abstract

Event deposits trace the occurrence of mass movements due to either mass wasting or mass flows. These mass movements are in most cases related to geological events such as floods, sublacustrine slope failures, rockfalls and earthquakes. The history of events in a lake basin gives insight into the history of natural hazards occurring on lakes that are often densely populated regions. The aim of this study is to identify the different types of events responsible for sediment input in the deep basin of Lake Geneva in order to understand the sources and processes. This study is based on a multiproxy approach using high-resolution seismic reflection data, geophysical, geochemical and mineralogical data on sediment cores, as well as, radiocarbon dates. Additionally, data originating from archeological and historical archives are added to this framework. Finally, a numerical simulation of tsunami wave heights is integrated.