The Ana Slide is the first submarine landslide completely covered with high-resolution 3D seismic data.• Large parts of volume previously interpreted as landslide material was deformed in-situ and the slide took place in two separate phases.• The tsunami hazard posed by this kind of slide is far smaller than previously appreciated.

The Ana Slide is the first submarine landslide completely covered with high-resolution 3D seismic data.• Large parts of volume previously interpreted as landslide material was deformed in-situ and the slide took place in two separate phases.• The tsunami hazard posed by this kind of slide is far smaller than previously appreciated.

SO277 OMAX served two scientific projects. The objectives of the first project, SMART, were to develop multi-disciplinary methodologies to detect, quantify, and model offshore groundwater reservoirs in regions dominated by carbonate geology such as the Mediterranean Sea. To this end we acquired controlled-source electromagnetic, seismic, hydroacoustic, geochemical, seafloor imagery data off Malta. Preliminary evaluation of the geophysical data show that there are resisitivity anomalies that may represent offshore freshwater aquifers. The absence of evidence for offshore springs means that these aquifers would be confined and that it will be difficult to use them in a sustainable manner. The objective of the second project, MAPACT-ETNA, is to monitor the flank of Etna volcano on Sicily which is slowly deforming seaward. Here, we deployed six seafloor geodesy stations and six ocean bottom seismometers for long-term observation (1-3 years). In addition, we mapped the seafloor off Mt. Etna and off the island of Stromboli to constrain the geological processes that control volcanic flank stability.

No abstract

Submarine landslides can entail a substantial hazard for offshore infrastructure as they are capable of triggering tsunamis and may develop into highly mobile turbidity currents capable of breaking seabed cables. Despite considerable research activity, the trigger mechanisms for such landslide events cannot be clearly defined. Recently, marine gas occurrence has been investigated as a possible trigger mechanism. The behaviour of a fine-grained gassy soil is influenced by a variety of micromechanical processes; amongst destructuring due to fracture formation or gas bubble expansion, and bubble flooding with subsequent cavity collapse. Capturing and modeling these processes in order to assess the destructive potential of enclosed gas bubbles in submarine slopes is to date a considerable scientific challenge. With the help of a large number of Finite Element Limit Analyses (FELA), which are based on laboratory tests on a gravity core from the western Mediterranean Sea, submarine slope stability in the respective region was evaluated. Based on these analyses, gassy soil can be defined as a preconditioning factor but not as a capable trigger mechanism for submarine landsliding.