P E O P L E

The aim of my research is to understand how coastal systems have been altered by both extreme events (storms, tsunamis) and gradual environmental changes over the Holocene. My objective is to extend the short-term instrumental record, and through this improved understanding of impacts and processes, enhance our ability to forecast how coastal systems will respond in the future. Many of the best reconstructions of coastal systems have been derived from sedimentary and paleontological proxies. Primarily I use sedimentary, mollusk, and microfossil evidence to better understand the paleo-record in a variety of coastal systems (temperate, tropical, and arid environments). My current research interests fall into, but are not limited to, three broad themes.

1) The application of microfossils in monitoring and reconstructing coastal environments and inland environments

2) The role of earthquakes, storms and tsunamis on coastal evolution

3) Human impact of coastal change

• Peer-reviewed articles in journals (students supervised are underlined)
• Engelhart, S.E., Pilarczyk, J.E., Rovere, A., 2019. Storms and extreme events: Insights from the historical and paleo record. PAGES Magazine 27, 26-27. [Download]
• Vaziri, H., Reinhardt, E.G., Pilarczyk, J.E., 2019. Coastal foraminifera from the Iranian coast of Makran, Oman Sea (Chabahar Bay to Gawater Bay) as an indicator of tsunamis. Geopersia 35, 43-63. [Download]
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Sawai, Y., Matsumoto, D., Namegaya, Y., Nishida, N., Ikehara, K., Fujiwara, O., Gouramanis, C., Dura, T., Horton, B.P., 2019. Constraining sediment provenance for tsunami deposits using distributions of grain size and foraminifera from the Kujukuri coastline and shelf, Japan. Sedimentology, doi, 10.1111/sed.12591 [Download]
• Garrett, E., Pilarczyk, J.E., Brill, D., 2018. Preface to Marine Geology Special Issue: Geological Records of Extreme Wave Events. Marine Geology 396, 1-5. [Download]
• Kosciuch, T.J., Pilarczyk, J.E., Hong, I., Fritz, H.M., Horton, B.P., Rarai, A., Harrison, M.J., Jockley, F.R.,2018 in press. Foraminifera reveal a shallow nearshore origin for overwash sediments deposited by Tropical Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu (South Pacific). Marine Geology 396, 171-185. [Download]
• Hong, I., Pilarczyk, J.E., Horton, B.P., Fritz, H.M., Kosciuch, T.J., Wallace, D.J, Dike, C., Rarai, A., Harrison, M.J., Jockley, F.R.,2018 in press. Sedimentological characteristics of the 2015 Tropical Cyclone Pam overwash sediments from Vanuatu, South Pacific. Marine Geology 396, 205-214. [Download]
• Soria, J.L.A., Switzer, A.D., Pilarczyk, J.E., Tang, H., Weiss, R., Siringan, F., Manglicmot, M., Gallentes, A., Lau, A.Y., Lin, A.C.Y., Ling, T.K.W., 2018. Typhoon Haiyan storm surge carried two distinct sediment assemblages on the carbonate coast of Hernani, Samar, central Philippines. Marine Geology 396, 215-230.[Download]
• Soria, J.L.A., Switzer, A.D., Pilarczyk, J.E., Siringan, F.P., Khan, N.S., Fritz, H.M., 2017. Typhoon Haiyan overwash sediments from Leyte Gulf coastlines show local variations with hybrid storm and tsunami signatures. Sedimentary Geology 358, 121-138. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Dura, T., Horton, B.P., Cisternas, M., Ely, L.L., Hong, I., Nelson, A.R., Wesson, R.L., Pilarczyk, J.E., Parnell, A., Nikitina, D., 2017. Subduction zone slip variability during the last millennium, south-central Chile. Quaternary Science Reviews 175, 112-137. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Rubin, C.M., Horton, B.P., Sieh, K., Pilarczyk, J.E., Daly, P., Ismail, N., Parnell, A.C., 2017. Highly variable recurrence of tsunamis in the 7,400 years before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Nature Communications 8, 16019. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Matsumoto, D., Sawai, Y., Yamada, M., Namegaya, Y., Shinozaki, T., Takeda, D., Fujino, S., Tanigawa, K., Nakamura, A., Pilarczyk, J.E., 2016. Erosion and sedimentation during the September 2015 flooding of the Kinu River, central Japan. Nature Scientific Reports 6, 34168. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Horton, B.P., Soria, J.L.A., Switzer, A.D., Siringan, F., Fritz, H.M., Khan, N.S., Ildefonso, S., Doctor, A.A., Garcia, M.L., 2016. Micropaleontology of the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan deposit from the Leyte Gulf, Philippines. Sedimentary Geology 339, 104-114. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Kelsey, H., Engelhart, S.E., Pilarczyk, J.E., Horton, B.P., Rubin, C.M., Daryono, M., Ismail, N., Hawkes, A.D., Bernhardt, C., Cahill, N., 2015. Accommodation space, relative sea level, and the archiving of paleo-earthquakes along subduction zones. Geology 43, 675-678. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Sieh, K., Daly, P., McKinnon, E.E., Pilarczyk, J.E., Chiang, H.-W., Horton, B.P., Rubin, C.M., Shen, C.-C., Ismail, N., Vane, C., 2015. Penultimate predecessors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh, Sumatra: stratigraphic, archaeological and historical evidence. Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth 120, 308-325. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Dura, T., Cisternas, M., Horton, B.P., Ely, L.L., Wesson, R.L., Nelson, A.R., Pilarczyk, J.E., 2015. Coastal evidence of mid-Holocene earthquakes and tsunamis in central Chile. Quaternary Science Reviews 113, 93-111. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Dura, T., Horton, B.P., Engelhart, S.E., Kemp, A.C., Sawai, Y., 2014. Microfossils in coastal environments as indicators of paleo-earthquakes, tsunamis and storms. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 413, 144-157. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Goff, J., Mountjoy, J., Lamarche, G., Pelletier, B., Horton, B.P., 2014. Sediment transport trends from a tropical Pacific lagoon as indicated by Homotrema rubra taphonomy: Wallis Island, Polynesia. Marine Micropaleontology 109, 21-29.picture_as_pdfDownload
• Brown, A., Reinhardt, E.G., van Hengstum, P.J., Pilarczyk, J.E., 2014. A coastal Yucatan sinkhole records intense hurricane events. Journal of Coastal Research 30(2), 418-428.picture_as_pdfDownload
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Horton, B.P., Witter, R.C., Vane, C.H., Goff, J., Chagué-Goff, C., 2012. Sedimentary and foraminiferal evidence of the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami on the Sendai coastal plain, Japan. Sedimentary Geology 282, 78-89. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Reinhardt, E.G., 2012. Homotrema rubrum (Lamarck) taphonomy as an overwash indicator in marine ponds on Anegada, British Virgin Islands. Natural Hazards 63 (1), 85-100. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Reinhardt, E.G., 2012. Testing foraminiferal taphonomy as a tsunami indicator in a shallow arid system lagoon: Sur, Sultanate of Oman. Marine Geology 295-298, 128-136.picture_as_pdfDownload
• Reinhardt, E.G., Pilarczyk, J.E., Brown, A., 2012. Probable tsunami origin for a shell and sand sheet from marine ponds on Anegada, British Virgin Islands. Natural Hazards 63 (1), 101-117.picture_as_pdfDownload
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Reinhardt, E.G., Boyce, J.I., Schwarcz, H.P., Donato, S.V., 2011. Assessing surficial foraminiferal distributions as an overwash indicator in Sur Lagoon, Sultanate of Oman. Marine Micropaleontology 80, 62-73.picture_as_pdfDownload
• Donato, S.V., Reinhardt, E.G., Boyce, J.I., Pilarczyk, J.E., Jupp, B.P. 2009. Particle-size distribution of inferred tsunami deposits in Sur Lagoon, Sultanate of Oman. Marine Geology 257, 54-64. picture_as_pdfDownload
• Chapters within books of edited volumes
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Horton, B.P., 2015. Mollusca. In: Shennan, I., Horton, B.P., Long, A. (eds.), Sea Level Handbook. John Wiley and Sons picture_as_pdfDownload
• Other publications
• Pilarczyk, J.E., Cochran, U., Litchfield, N., Clark, K., Hayward, B., Lamarche, G., Horton, B.P., 2013. White paper: Paleoseismology at the Hikurangi Margin. Geodynamic Processes at Rifting and Subducting Margins (GeoPRISMS). picture_as_pdfDownload
• Horton, B.P., MacInnes, B., Gonzalez, F., Hemphill-Haley, E., Switzer, A., Witter, R., Tanioka, Y., Bourgeois, J., Weiss, R., Pilarczyk, J.E., 2012. White paper: Long-term records of tsunamis (and storms) with insights from recent events. National Science Foundation (NSF).

I am currently working on the foraminiferal assemblages in the 2018 Sulawesi tsunami sediments from Palu Bay, Indonesia. Looking at the foraminifera deposited by this recent event is useful in identifying potential records of past tsunamis from overwash sediments. These records provide insights to help us understand the variability in magnitude, frequency and impacts of past extreme events. Additionally, learning about the characteristics of past tsunamis gives context for current and future coastal vulnerability and coastal hazard assessments.

• Publications
• Publications.

I am interested in the environmental aspect of Earth Sciences. This includes natural hazards, water resources, and climatology. I am currently pursuing an Honour’s thesis that involves identifying paleo-tsunami deposits in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand using grain size data and geochemical analysis with X-ray fluorescence.

• Publications
• Publications.

My research interests involve using microfossils (e.g., foraminifera) and sediment grain size to reconstruct coastal environments. Specifically, I am interested in using these techniques to identify tsunami deposits in the geological record.

• Publications
• --Publications--

The aim of my research is to understand tsunamis affecting the Sendai coast ofJapan. Using a microfossil called foraminifera, I am trying to determine the sediment provenance ofthe 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami event. With this information, future studies can compare the sediment provenance to paleotsunamis uncovered in the same region to try and better understand differences inregionaltsunami intensity. Understanding the tsunami record can help communities along coastlines prepare for future inundation events.

• Publications

I'm a second year masters student at the University of Southern Mississippi in the Marine Science, Geological Oceanography program. My research investigates post depositional change of tsunami deposits laid down during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on the north-western coastline of Sumatra, Indonesia. The tsunami deposits contain distinctive marine material, including foraminifera, that can be indicative of marine provenance when found within anomalous sand layers in low energy terrestrial environments. I recognize post-depositional change by looking at foraminiferal taphonomy overtime. Conclusions from this study will allow for a more robust framework with which to investigate tsunami deposits and offer caveats when considering post depositional change.

• Publications