Whereisyourcurrentworkfocused?
I amlookingforanddescribingcoastlinesandtsunamidepositsalloverthe world.
Tsunamisarelargeandpowerfuloceanwaves.Theygrowinsizeastheyreachtheshore.Earthquakescausemosttsunamis.Whenthishappens,biggapsmayappearontheoceanfloor.Watermovesintofillthisgap.Thenatsunamiforms.Goodmanstudiedonein Israel.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2020/where_is_your_current_work_focused_and_describe_your_first_dive_at_caesarea_and/604678/shutterstock_503574373.640_0_1.jpg)
abeachinCaesarea, Israel
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2020/where_is_your_current_work_focused_and_describe_your_first_dive_at_caesarea_and/604679/.shutterstock_12128720.mp4.960_0_1.jpg)
underwaterruinsin Caesarea
Describe your first dive in Israel.
Oneoftheexcavation leaderstookusoutforatourofthesite.Hewantedtocheckourgear.Healsowantedtoseehowwehandledourselvesinthewater.Iwasvery nervous.
Oncewedroppedintothewater,however,weweresurroundedbyhugeblocksofancientbuildingmaterials.Atthatpoint,Iwastoodistractedtothinkaboutanything else.
Wecruisedaroundancientblockscoveredinplantsandcritters.Throughnarrowspaces,wecouldseewoodthatwas2,000years old!
Whatwereyoulookingforduringthatseasonofexcavation?
Weneededtofindevidencethattsunamishappenedhereinthepast.Wedidn’thaveproofonland.Oneproblemisthatanarchaeologicalsiteonacoastlinehasalotofsand,pottery,shell,andgravel.Atsunamideposithasthesamethings!Itwashardtobesurethatthoselayerswerefroma tsunami.
So,theteamlookedforevidenceoftsunamisbelowthe surface.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2020/where_is_your_current_work_focused_and_describe_your_first_dive_at_caesarea_and/604671/deepdive_2.640_0_1.jpg)
Goodmancollectsasedimentsampleinasmall bag.
Thefirstevidencewascollectedduringunderwaterexcavations.Weusedawaterdredge.Thisislikeanunderwatervacuum cleaner.
Wefoundlayersofmaterialsfromthedeepsea.Theyweremixedwithmaterialsfromtheshallowseaandbeach.Therewasalsomaterialthatcamefromtheland.Themixtureincludedpottery,shells,pebbles,tinyorganisms,patchesofmud,andevenlargepiecesofcarvedmarble.Theonlythingthatcouldcausethismixofmaterialswouldbestrong waves.
Theteamthenlinkedtheageofthedepositstotheageofhistorical events.
Thediscoverywasimportant.Itprovedthatthewrittenrecordsweredescribingactual tsunamis.
Wethoughtthedebrisfieldshouldbeverylarge.Tofindout,weneededtotakecoresamples.Wehadtoinsertlongpipesintotheseafloor.Thisisnotsoeasytodoinsand.Youmusthammerthepipeinalongtime.Thenyoumustremoveit somehow.
Weneededtoconnectanautomatichammertothepipetohammeritin.Weneededtoattachropesandfloatstopullitout.Ittookalotofthinkinguntilwegotit right.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2020/where_is_your_current_work_focused_and_describe_your_first_dive_at_caesarea_and/604672/deepdive_3.512_0_1.jpg)
Goodmanholdsapipebeingusedtotakeasampleofthe seabed.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2020/where_is_your_current_work_focused_and_describe_your_first_dive_at_caesarea_and/604699/brightcove_6104528615001.960_0_1.jpg)