Tephras and a new C-14 age of the marine deposit of Shinjima (Moeshima) Island in Kagoshima Bay, southern Kyushu, Japan

Abstract

We identified two tephras, named S-AP and S-BP contained in the deposits on Shinjima (Moeshima) Island in Kagoshima Bay on the basis of glass major element-compositions using a wavelength dispersive microprobe at Kagoshima University. The S-AP and S-BP are identified with Sakurajima-Tk3 (10,600 cal BP) and Sakurajima-Ub (9,000 cal BP), respectively. In addition, we got ca. 28,900 cal BP for a radiocarbon age of the charcoal contained in the deposits. Those data contribute to improve high-resolution chronology not only for the marine deposits on Shinjima (Moeshima) Island but for the palaeoenvironmental and cultural chronology in southern Kyushu.