Abstract An archaeomagnetic intensity study was conducted on nineteenth-century firebricks manufactured in Scotland and used in an iron foundry in Melbourne, Australia, between 1842 and 1864 CE. Archaeointensity results obtained from bricks with a single component of magnetization gave values of 61.45 ± 0.89 and 61.92 ± 6.84 μT. These values are in agreement with historical absolute intensity measurements taken at the Melbourne geomagnetic observatory between 1858 and 1863 CE (61.17 ± 0.078 μT) and with the gufm1 model based on mariners’ data. A high-temperature vector component, presumably acquired at the time of manufacture in Scotland, was isolated in certain firebricks and an archaeointensity of 48.3 ± 8.39 μT was obtained, which is consistent with the gufm1 model for Scotland at this time (48.79 μT). The dual archaeointensity record of the firebricks supports their geographical provenance, highlighting the potential for archaeointensity data to be used in archaeological artefact-sourcing studies, whilst anomalously high intensities recorded in one of the bricks highlight potential contamination issues from non-Earth magnetic fields in archaeometallurgical contexts. The new Melbourne archaeointensity data are the most precisely dated archaeomagnetic data produced so far for Australia.

Abstract Central America is a small and culturally homogeneous region that, since the 1990s, has experienced economic and political integration of its six countries, which share the same threats of volcanic eruptions, disastrous earthquakes and tsunamis. The Pacific coastline of 1700 km is common for Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, and the Pacific subduction zone has the potential for creating huge tsunamis that threaten this coast. In addition to the natural hazard, the growing tourist industry is expanding its infrastructure along the Pacific beaches, which again enhances the exposure and tsunami risk. Even though the 1992 tsunami disaster in Nicaragua did not severely hit the tourist beaches, it raised the risk awareness, and special attention is now given to ‘slow’ earthquakes that may be modest in shaking while still having a large tsunami potential. The tsunami hazard mapping is well advanced in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador, and initiatives are ongoing to improve the mapping in all countries. National systems for early warning were established in Nicaragua and El Salvador, while the other four countries rely on rapid information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Mitigation measures and information campaigns are presently conducted on a national basis in all countries, but a regional centre for early tsunami warning and coordinated information campaigns (CATAC) is expected to become operational in the near future.